Pistone: My dream at United was so Ruudly interrupted
ITALIAN BLAMES GULLIT FOR SPOILING ST JAMES’ SPELL
ALESSANDRO Pistone insists he was “living his dream” at Newcastle United and would never have left to join Venezia on loan had he not been “cast aside” by Ruud Gullit.
The Italian spent three years on Tyneside, making 45 league appearances for the Magpies between 1997 and 2000 after signing from Inter Milan, and he helped United reach the FA Cup final in 1998.
However, once Gullit became Newcastle manager in August 1998, Pistone was frozen out of the first-team squad and, like Rob Lee, was infamously refused even a squad number.
As a result, the full-back spent four months back in Italy on loan at Venezia, but he is adamant he would never have left St James’ Park at that stage had it not been for the fact he and Gullit did not get along.
“We didn’t like each other, but I never understood why,” Pistone told PlanetFootball.com during an indepth interview.
“Generally speaking, I think he was a good coach, but when he arrived he picked up more than 10 players and cast them aside without a word.
“He left out [Alan] Shearer. Imagine that. In January I needed to play and there was an opportunity to join Venezia, but in a normal situation I would never have left Newcastle because I was living my dream.” Interestingly, Pistone – who left Newcastle for Everton in 2000, despite having regained a place in the first-team squad under Gullit’s successor, Sir Bobby Robson – admits he never felt “part of the group” at United.
He did, however, love Newcastle as a city – and as well as the club’s “special” supporters.
“At that time, only a few Italian players had left Italy to go abroad,” Pistone added.
“I was one of the youngest, but I always wanted to play abroad so Newcastle was a big opportunity for me.
“In those years Newcastle had one of the best teams in the Premier League. The year before I arrived they’d only lost out on the title in the last few matches. It was a big team with great players so I couldn’t miss the opportunity.
“But living there was not easy for me. It was cold, rainy and windy most of the time, and when I moved there was I alone because my girlfriend, drunk, and still drink, only water, so who is now even the pubs were not the best my wife, places for me. was still a “It was OK, but I never felt part of student. the group, it was much easier going “I out with the other foreign players as didn’t they experienced the same problems. speak But I don’t blame the English English players, it’s just normal it to be that way. and I “Weather apart, it was beautiful. Newcastle is a very nice city, with clubs, pubs and restaurants. It’s a university city so the lifestyle was good for a 22-year-old guy. “Then there are the fans, who were and still are special. They live for Newcastle United. I’ve never met a Newcastle citizen who was not a Newcastle fan. “We reached the FA Cup final which is one of my best memories of being in England.”
In a normal situation I would never have left Newcastle because I was living my dream Alessandro Pistone