19 July 2023
A player's career is made up of many different moments. In the albums of memories, the big moments naturally stand out, so an infinite number come to mind, and I remember very well what is behind each of them. I remember the joy and the smiles, but I also remember the hardest times.
I remember the fears.
Fears and weaknesses are often almost hidden, masked, but they are part of our journey and, to win, we must take them on. Overcome them.
Each path has its own story, each player follows a different path, but if I have to identify some fears that everyone experiences, more or less, I would choose three: the fear of defeat, the fear of injuries and the last one, the fear of quitting. And I repeat, everyone faces them in their own way, everyone has their own path. I'll share with you mine.
RESULTS
The most common fear is the one we've all had to deal with: the one that grips you when results are difficult to come by. I remember, in particular, the years of the seventh places. We looked into each other's eyes: we were all great players, some members of our national teams, some world champions. There were great talents, and yet…
So you found yourself wondering when you would get out of it and what you could do as an individual to help the team find each other again. These situations must be faced calmly: sometimes a spark is enough, even a game perhaps won by playing badly, but when you have brought back team spirit, that can allow you to start putting some bricks on which to build up again. After overcoming this fear, winning teams can then be re-born.
Everyone faces these moments in their own way: there are those who externalise and prefer to talk to face certain problems, while there are those who, on the other hand, keep everything inside. It's the locker room that makes the difference, everyone with their own experiences. There are those who have already experienced similar situations and can set an example for overcoming them and those who, on the other hand, have not experienced them - I am thinking of the younger kids, whose light-heartedness can help. The right mix of these ingredients can be the difference between coming out of a difficult period or being overwhelmed.
After two difficult seasons, in the year of the first of nine Scudettos in a row, I think the turning point for us came in Juve-Milan. We started well that year, but also the previous seasons we had made a good start and then things didn't end well. We were playing against the Italian champions and we won that match, making a huge statement. It was not only the victory that gave that signal, but the way in which we managed to obtain it, conquering it on the field with a utter domination in terms of play and intensity, creating a lot and conceding very little. It didn't come with wonder goals or incredible plays, but thanks to the determination and desire to bring the luck that had often been lacking on our side. That victory, obtained with that spirit, gave us the conviction to say "this year we are here", and that conviction made the difference when we went through a more challenging period. In the group those certainties never disappeared and they allowed us to go and win that championship.
INJURIES
You're alone. You're on the couch while, around you, what is your world continues at its crazy speed between training sessions and matches. The locker room moves to another rhythm, while you have to slow down to find yourself. In everyday life you are used to relying on your teammates in the locker room, but suddenly you realise you have to fight alone. These are the first sensations that keep you company when you find yourself facing a long injury.
Injuries are part of a player's career, but that doesn't make them any easier to deal with. In those moments I think that your family can give you strength. There is almost a natural reunion, they help you, they can go at your speed. Loved ones are those who in these moments allow you to absorb any fear.
I remember my knee injury. I had started working for less than ten days and I was fine, I had the sensation of going fast, I was reacting well. Then I got a knee infection, the unexpected in the unexpected. I found myself under the knife again, and I had to start from the beginning. At that moment, I admit, I was scared. Because I asked myself if I had done something wrong, if we had done something wrong at work. There it is essential to have a very strong inner balance, you have to accept that certain unexpected events happen, like injuries, and those moments can only be overcome with sacrifice.
If you need time, don't skip it, you have to take it and use it. Don't be in a hurry. The head dictates the body: if you are strong, you can overcome anything.
RETIREMENT
But do you know what a footballer's greatest fear is? When you stop being a footballer. Retirement is an extremely complex moment to manage. There is the risk of an emotional collapse, when you realise you will never again experience the adrenaline you experience when playing football, regardless of what you do afterwards.
Training sessions, matches every three days, different competitions, challenges, fans, the emotions that emmanate from a match, the pressure, the joy, the fear.... and then everything suddenly disappears. Those adrenaline rushes that you had the honour of being able to experience in your everyday life will no longer be there. This, no matter how much you have planned for your future, is undoubtedly the most difficult thing to face. You know you can no longer go at the pace you were used to, rationally you are aware of it, and even the moment you start playing you know that moment will come, but when you find yourself actually going through it, it is another story.
From my point of view, I think I was lucky. I decided to quit at a time when I was out of contract, so I didn't breathe every step towards my goodbye. I didn't have a date circled in red on my calendar to get close to. I realised that every time I tried to accelerate to get back on the pitch my body couldn't take it anymore; therefore, saying "enough" was quite natural. I had prepared myself for what was going to happen, I knew that once I finished that path, I already had another one ready to take.
When you leave this wonderful but very protected world, planning is really essential. I think it's really vital not to only think about the aftermath at the time of retirement, but to carry on. I already had my own communication agency, because I understood that the modern footballer needs to support himself off the pitch, to better manage his image, his investments and every aspect of his career.
I knew that football would remain in my life, as I said, and after all, I had already prepared. There is one thing, however, that surprised me: I didn't expect to still be such a fan. I was born into a Juventus family, so my passion for Juventus was alive regardless of my career path. When you become a professional footballer, even if you play for your favourite team, you obviously experience things differently. You are always a fan, but you are, above all, a professional, and you therefore reason in another way. Now, beyond when I play the role of columnist or commentator, where I always try to keep my balance, I find myself feeling really bad when Juve lose, as much as I am euphoric when they win. As a footballer, obviously, when you lost, you felt bad, but the reaction was different, you had to concentrate on the next game, understand the mistakes and work to avoid making them again. Now, on the other hand, I've really started living it again as a fan. I didn't think that passion would blow up like this again. It's beautiful.
