Juventus star Paulo Dybala wrote a touching message after the death of his former Palermo President Maurizio Zamparini. ‘I will always be grateful and I will never forget you.’
Zamparini died at the age of 80 from complications following colon surgery.
He was one of the great figures of Calcio, remembered as much for his penchant for hiring and firing coaches at an alarming rate as his ability to spot great talents and launch them on the Serie A stage.
Zamparini brought Dybala to Italy and Palermo from Instituto Cordoba in 2012 for €11.9m.
Dybala, Cavani, Barzagli: Palermo’s top XI during the Zamparini era
“You were the first to believe in me,” wrote Dybala on Instagram with a picture of them together in Sicily.
“I arrived in Italy as a child and your family welcomed me as if it was my home. President, you opened the doors to a beautiful city where I met wonderful people and still have great friends.
“You gave me the opportunity to continue my career where I wanted, always with the maximum respect and always thinking of what was best for me.
“For this and many other things I will always be grateful and I will never forget you, President. Thank you, for everything. Your Picciriddu.”
Picciriddu is a Sicilian dialect term of affection roughly translating as ‘little boy.’
Although Zamparini was from the Friuli region in the north, he was at the helm of Palermo from 2002 to 2018.
Dybala played with the Palermo jersey for three years until his €41m sale to Juventus in the summer of 2015.
He scored 21 goals and provided 16 assists in 93 competitive matches for the Rosanero, arriving at the age of 17.
View this post on Instagram
Very sad news. Palermo (and Udinese) had some very exciting teams back in the day. Life certainly wasn’t dull when Zamparini was around.
Bravo Paulo 😢
RIP Zappa 🙏🏻