Vincenzo Montella reveals he “was a Milan fan,” looked back over his playing career and the difficult rapport with Francesco Totti.
The Sampdoria Coach sat down with the Corriere dello Sport for an in-depth interview, which also covered his management approach and interest in the Italy job.
“I was a Milan fan and my idol was Marco van Basten,” he revealed after being linked with the Rossoneri bench.
Vincenzo Montella reveals he “was a Milan fan,” looked back over his playing career and the difficult rapport with Francesco Totti.
The Sampdoria Coach sat down with the Corriere dello Sport for an in-depth interview, which also covered his management approach and interest in the Italy job.
“I was a Milan fan and my idol was Marco van Basten,” he revealed after being linked with the Rossoneri bench.
“When I was 13 years old, I left home to go and play for Empoli. My mother was crying and to this day I don’t forgive myself, but they wanted me to follow my dream. And, thanks to my parents, I was able to achieve that dream.
“I started in goal when I played for my local team, Castelcisterna. I still don’t know why. I remember the first jersey I had was orange.
“One day Silvano Bini arrived from Empoli and convinced my family. He offered, as a guarantee, the fact there was another lad from my home town, Caccia, who was older than me and lived with his family nearby. This reassured my parents and that is how my journey in football began.
“I made by debut in Serie C aged 16 and a half. A year later I scored four goals in seven games, but at 18 the trouble started.
“I fractured my fibula and tore the ligaments, so was out for six months. As if that weren’t enough, I developed myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and was not given the all-clear to play for a year.
“That was such a hard time. The world seemed to collapse on top of me. I had struggled so hard and found myself empty-handed. The future seemed as dark as night.
“The myocarditis appeared out of nowhere and disappeared just as suddenly, without explanation. That’s when the light returned.”
Montella had his most successful period at Roma, where he won the Scudetto, but admits his rapport with captain Totti wasn’t always ideal.
“At the start we didn’t get alone very well, on a personal level. We didn’t click. But with time we developed a solid rapport of respect and friendship. We both grew up.
“As a player Totti did immense, unthinkable things. I’d like him to quit while he is at the apex of his career, as he is today. As long as he’s having fun, and he really does seem to be enjoying himself, it’s only right that he continues.”