«Goal against Milan with the goalkeeper down. I told the boys to let them score»- Corriere.it

“It was a decision made on the spot, without thinking about it. Natural and instinctive». For those who believe that winning is the only thing that matters in sport, the choice of Vito Lasalandra, coach of Monza Under 17, appears at least against the tide. On Sunday 2 April, his team at Monzello challenged Milan of the same age group. «In a non-trivial challenge because we were fighting for access to the playoffs» recalls the Brianza coach as he rewinds the tape of the match. «We’re at 1-1 when a cross arrives in the Rossoneri area. Their goalkeeper Colzani remains on the ground in a game clash while Mereghetti takes us ahead in the continuation of the action. Since it didn’t seem right to me, I told my team to stay put when the game resumed and to let them score».

Get used to electric post matches, where fair play is a utopia and the complaint the common threadThe beau geste of the Monza coach does not go unnoticed. «Nobody from Milan had complained about our goal with the goalkeeper on the ground. Simply when I fully realized what had happened I shared the decision to make with my players. The Rossoneri appreciated it since they called us for compliments Christian Lantignotti, the coach of the team is Angelo Carbone, the manager of their youth sector». Who knows if all the Monza players appreciated him given the importance of the stake.

«No one grumbled and then we were rewarded because after the 2-2 draw that we let Bonomi from Milan score, in the end we won 3-2 in the 89th minute». For once, it seems that the parents – notoriously overwhelmed by rooting for their children and therefore unleashed in the stands – have reacted with maturity. “Everyone applauded us,” says Lasalandra, spokesperson for a corporate mission. «The company also trains us technicians so that we become proponents of values. Our role cannot be limited to teaching tactics and technique. We are first and foremost educators. I’m glad because then Adriano Galliani called me and he also complimented the boys».

Vito Lasalandra is 48 years old, is in his sixth season in the Monza youth team but has a past as a footballer. «I also have a presence in Serie A, Lecce-Udinese. It was the 1997-1998 championship, in Zaccheroni’s Udinese. I played with Bierhoff, Helveg, Paolino Poggi. In that season we challenged Ajax in the UEFA Cup. I was linked to Udinese for six years, a record. They sent me on loan every season to some club. I have toured a lot of clubs even in the lower divisions, from the North and the South. Especially in the South». Monza is now dreaming. After getting against AC Milan, second in the standings, his fourth consecutive victory in his championship, now sits in third place, with two races still to play. «Let’s try to keep our position in the playoffs» says Lasalandra who, despite leading a team of young players, issues a warning when he grows up. “I like to think I led the way. It would be nice to see other gestures of sportsmanship on the football fields. One last question remains. Excuse me, but which team do you root for? «Milan, but I would have done it with any opponent».