«Ready to be a coach, there’s an idea in Bari. Milan? Never say never»- Corriere.it

Stplacing as one of his fintsand Gianni Rivera, the eternal Golden Boy
of Italian football, two months after his 80th birthday he is back on the field with a team of Scrooge McDuck. It aims straight at Bari and Bari, which the De Laurentiis family will sooner or later have to sell by law, but does not exclude other squares. The package though is take it or leave it. Because Gianni Rivera, who is the same age as Mick Jagger and Robert De Niro, doesn’t want to be the president but the coach. Card taken three years ago. And not to frame it and put it on the bulletin board.

Rivera, built a team to play for what?
«With a group of entrepreneur friends we decided to invest in football, in Serie A or B. Starting with Bari. About twenty days ago I had a telephone contact with the mayor Antonio Decaro, we pointed out to him that we are available to buy the society. I’ve always liked the idea of ​​taking a team from B to A. I also have the Gianni Rivera Academy which could raise many young players».

And where are we?

«The play-off that Bari lost against Cagliari did not immediately make the proposal concrete but we are waiting for developments. Otherwise we are open to other offers».

With Rivera coach. But have you ever had any offers?

«Unfortunately, as soon as I got my license, the epidemic broke out. Carlo Tavecchio, however, six years ago wanted me as coach of the national team in place of Giampiero Ventura after the failure to qualify for the World Cup in Russia. But I didn’t have a coaching license and so…”.

So…?

«Tavecchio asked the UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin to grant it to me in consideration of the merits acquired on the pitch, but he answered no. Taking the course in Coverciano was inevitable».

Your teammate Trapattoni quit ten years ago, you’re starting now. Isn’t it a little late?

«But I have the experience. I’ve always been a coach on the pitch…”

Why not start earlier? Maybe just hung up his boots.

“Yes, indeed I was wrong. But as soon as I stopped I became vice president of Milan with Felice Colombo: we pushed Fabio Capello to take the coaching course and I could do it with him but then I felt more manager than coach. Then I entered politics and that was my life for twenty years».

Rocco said: a perfect team must have a goalkeeper who saves everything, a killer in defense, a genius in midfield, a mona who scores and seven donkeys who run. But football isn’t that anymore…
«I know it well but who says it has changed for the better? What they call building from below: teams that spend hours in their own half of the pitch instead of attacking that of others. You know what I thought was imposed by a new regulation? A tactic that should be abolished by law. With this idea of ​​football, I would never have been able to score the 4-3 of Italy-Germany».

Today is a football that sacrifices 10 like Rivera.

«Football sacrifices the 10 because they are no longer there. If you have the numbers, they come out».

Would Rivera play in Guardiola’s team?
«With today’s preparation Rivera would always be Rivera».

Did you see Inter’s Champions League final?
«The same thing happened to the Nerazzurri that happened to Milan in the semi-final against Inter. Missing two goals cost the result. The Champions League doesn’t forgive.”

Did Gianni Rivera support Inter?
«I always support the Italian teams. And if the Italian is called Inter patience, that’s fine too … ».

AC Milan thought Charles De Ketelaere was the new Rivera. Better to give him another chance or mess somewhere else?
“I don’t know him well enough to say what’s best for him. If he has what it takes, he has to pull it out, if there are obstacles that block him, he or the club must remove them ».

By the way: what do you think of Maldini’s dismissal?
“Paolo did not deserve that treatment. The club had to make the resources available to him to improve the team, not kick him out, much less in that way.”

Given his background, do you recommend a political career?
“With the current politics, it’s better for Maldini to stay in the world of football.”

The Berlusconi era is over in both football and politics.
“I have not been an admirer of his. We have traveled different paths and lived in opposite worlds but he is certainly a man who has made the history of Milan and football.”

Would Milan train him?
“Never say never”.

But how old is Gianni Rivera today?
“Gianni Rivera has no age.”