Gianluca Zambrotta to Chelsea?
After rooming with Zidane in a glorious Juventus era, the full- back won the World Cup – then headed to Barcelona
You were the first Bari player to represent Italy for 50 years when you were handed a debut against Norway in February 1999. How did that feel?
It was a fantastic achievement for someone coming from Serie C – I started at Como, my hometown, before joining Bari in Serie A, then playing for the national team.
What was it like to join Juventus just five months later, playing with Zinedine Zidane and Alessandro Del Piero?
Juve were one of the best teams in the world, so it was a dream come true. After I arrived, Zidane stayed for two years before moving to Real Madrid, and I roomed with him. He was very quiet and didn’t speak much – when we got to our room, he used to watch movies on his PC, then go to sleep. He was professional and at the peak of his career, doing amazing things for Juve. He and Del Piero had superb imagination – as a youngster you could only get better, even just by watching them train.
Your first major tournament with Italy was Euro 2000. What are your memories of it?
I certainly don’t have positive memories. That year, Juve lost the title in the last game, then we had a good run at the Euros until we met the Dutch in the semi- finals. After I got sent off, they attacked us a lot – my team- mates played a terrific match and reached the final, but I couldn’t play. We all know how it ended, conceding a Golden Goal against France. Late in the game, I tried to make my way pitchside but wasn’t allowed through to watch the last few minutes of the final. That night was such a bad experience, then in September I went to the Olympics and injured a knee meniscus. For me, 2000 was not a nice year.
In 2002, though, you won a first Scudetto...
That was a great achievement – we finished second twice in a row under Carlo Ancelotti, then with Marcello Lippi we won it in the last game. Bringing in Gianluigi Buffon was vital, like the additions of Lilian Thuram and Pavel Nedved after Zidane left for Madrid. Having the best goalkeeper ever was an advantage!
From a great memory to a bad one – losing 2- 1 to South Korea at the 2002 World Cup…
That was really tough. We had a strong team and were on a good path until we met South Korea in a stadium that was completely red, as everyone was supporting Korea. That was hard for us – from the refereeing, to my injury in the game. Unfortunately, the Golden Goal rule cost us again, just like at Euro 2000. We had Del Piero, Christian Vieri, Francesco Totti, Filippo Inzaghi, Marco Delvecchio, Vincenzo Montella – some of the best forwards around. That World Cup was such a shame.
You lost the 2003 Champions League Final to Milan at Old Trafford – how crucial was Nedved’s suspension?
His absence made a huge difference. He was a complete player – pace, skill, right foot, left foot, goals, assists. He was one of the game’s finest midfielders and he won the Ballon d’or.
At Euro 2004, how did the team feel when Sweden drew 2- 2 with Denmark, meaning they both went through and you went out?
We were absolutely not surprised – 2- 2 was the only result that would allow both teams to advance, and that was the result. We got five points – usually you’d progress with that, but it was a very strange Euros, starting from Totti’s ban [ for spitting] after our first match. As a whole, we could have done better.
Your last two titles at Juve were expunged due to Calciopoli. If we ask you how many you won overall, would you say two or four?
Four, definitely. I can only speak about what the players gave on the pitch – we gave our best and won those titles, so it’s normal that I regard them as mine. I don’t want to think back to the events off the pitch.
As Calciopoli unfolded, you won the 2006 World Cup. What do you remember of your key goal against Ukraine in the last eight?
I didn’t score that many goals in my career! I received the ball on the right and looked for Totti, who gave it back to me with a backheel. Then I ran towards the centre and shot to the keeper’s left. It was a good goal, considering it was by a right- back! I started my career as a winger – I played on the left under Ancelotti at Juventus, then moved to right- back when Lippi arrived and Mauro Camoranesi signed.
What was the secret of Italy’s success at that tournament?
The whole group. At a tournament, you need strong players but also a great sense of unity, and all that was happening around us united us further. After the final, I remember going back to our hotel in Duisburg – there were so many Italians there until around 4am. Once we returned to Italy, Circus Maximus in Rome was full of people – those were three or four days with indescribable emotions.
After Juventus were relegated, you joined Barcelona. Is it true Chelsea wanted you?
Yes. Andriy Shevchenko went there and they wanted me too, as did Milan and Real Madrid, where Fabio Capello was coaching.
You teamed up with Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi – how did you find them?
They’re two legends of the game. They could do incredible things with a ball at their feet – things that seemed impossible for a normal player were like child’s play to them. Barça’s mentality was much different than my other teams – at Juventus, physical workouts in the gym were hard and essential. At Barça under Frank Rijkaard, we worked a lot with the ball and not much in the gym. I was among the few – along with Thuram – who’d work out in the gym. It was a different mentality and it took a while to get used to. But even though I didn’t win much, it was a great experience.
Why didn’t Barcelona have success during those two years, between 2006 and 2008?
We had a fantastic team, but those were the last couple of years with Rijkaard. After that, Pep Guardiola took over and Barcelona won everything. I think it was the mentality. Pep brought another way of looking at football – new rules in the dressing room that Rijkaard didn’t have. I had a four- year deal but asked if I could return to Italy to get back with my wife, because we were having issues. Barça were brilliant about it and let me join Milan.
At Milan, you played alongside Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso. Did you expect them to become managers?
Great midfielders – technical or motivational players – always get to become coaches first, statistically speaking. They think most. Rino had the most relationships with coaches, so I thought of him as a coach more than Pirlo. Rino is dedicated to his job 24 hours a day – he’s a maniac. It’s the same for Andrea, and his way of seeing football is slowly coming on. Juve are starting to play some good football and results have been coming. They should consider themselves satisfied, as coaching is incredibly difficult.
You were a manager yourself, with Chiasso in Switzerland and Delhi Dynamos in India, before a spell as No. 2 at Jiangsu Suning in China. Did you enjoy those roles?
Very much – they were different experiences. The job in Switzerland was close to my house, since I live in Como near the border. In India, it was an environment we had to build from scratch, but it was stimulating. My adventure in China alongside Capello was wonderful as well, in a country so different to Italy.
No? Absolutely not – it must be a rumour or someone who fakes being me!
To be honest, yes, because I was only missing two caps. But the main satisfaction remains the World Cup I won. There’s nothing better than to win the World Cup with your national team. When I think about those four stars on the Italian jersey, we won one of them, and that fills you up with such pride. It makes you part of history.