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Di Natale on Udinese Tonight: "I want to celebrate in Milan"

The captain and his well-rounded interview on Udinese Channel

[ 15.05.2013 ]

It was a special night on Udinese Channel yesterday: the special guest of Udinese Tonight was Antonio Di Natale, Udinese captain, whose interview ranged from the current subjects to his whole career in Friuli. The first, inevitable, question concerned his condition in view of the last match of the championship: "My recovery proceeds, I've worked on the bicycle today, my legs hurt a bit but it's normal since it's a different preparation that running on a pitch. My calf muscle still hurts too, but I want to play on Sunday, I want to be there with my team-mates to celebrate, we can win Inter (“we can beat Inter”?). It's a tough match, I'll try to do whatever I can, perhaps I'll score, to try and achieve our goal, Europa League".

The umpteenth great season for Udinese. Would you ever have expected so?

"We have been doing great things for three years despite bad starts. We didn't expect such a hard start though, but we have worked very hard and both younger and older players have done their best for the squad. As they say, "we are in Rome and we want to see the Pope" (Italian saying, translator's note). (What????) We want to honour this splendid season playing these last 90 minutes at best and accomplish our goal".

Is the change due to the new game plan or is there something more?

"I don't think it was just the game plan, I think it is due to the physical condition… if you're doing OK you can play with several game plans… the coach tried out many game plans and in the end all the players know what needs to be done. We must keep this attitude in Milan too".

Muriel was another positive contribution to the cause. How do you like him?

"We knew his qualities and we hope he can score again. He's young, and I think he could score 30 goals next year, without injuries. If I were the president, I would keep him".

Which were your hardest and nicest moments in Udine?

"I've never faced problems here in Udine. 4-5 (“Four or five”?) years ago we fought to avoid relegation until the very end of the championship, but we all suffered, not just me. We have ever (???) fought for good in the past nine years and I've had some great satisfactions (like the Rolling Stones?) here. Wearing this shirt, having so many people around me…it's just great. My sweetest memory is when I first got here: I had said my word was worth more than a signature, and so was it".

You live far from your home town. Did that fact have an influence on your career?

"I miss Naples all the times (“all the time”?), I am proud to be Neapolitan, but Udine is like a second home to me. I feel extremely fine here, and I feel the people's affection. When Juve came asking for me, I told the president I wanted to stay here, so the Club decided this would have been my team for life. There is no pressure, you can lose a few matches and still keep working at ease. Our results do the speaking: they all work hard here, the players, the coach and the club".

Who's the best defender you have ever faced? And a champion you were inspired by?

"The toughest defender I've ever faced is Ivan Cordoba: he was as fast as me so I could not run away in a jerk (???). A player I was surely inspired by was Maradona, then Baggio, Del Piero, Totti… great inspiring champions, it's a pleasure to see them play. When I first came to Udine Bertotto and Sensini taught me a lot, I saw them as older than me. Valerio was a great example and he remains a great captain to me".

Italy team manager spoke very highly of you, also when mentioning the World Cup…

"I have a good relationship with Prandelli and I'm flattered by what he said. We did great things at Euro (“the Euro”?) championship, we came second after Spain, which are stronger. Last year I didn't play, not even friendly matches, but I was capped for the competition. But right now all I am focused on is Internazionale, then I'll need to take some time off, it's been a tough season. The president and I will decide whether to continue for one, two, three seasons. I'll try to do my best and if I'm OK I won't turn down a shirt such as the national team's, which is something to be proud of".

Was your goal against Chievo the most beautiful of your career? Or was it the one you scored to Spain (“against Spain”?)?

"I was a great goal, but the most complicated I've ever scored was the one against Reggina, which was way much harder. I had a team-mate by my side, the defender ahead, I stopped and kicked all very quickly. The one I scored against Spain with Italy was the most beautiful of my career because it was my personal redemption for the damned wrong penalty, I knew I could score if I was given the chance, I had told Buffon before the match and so was it. That was the best match Italy played in the whole tournament".

What about that exultation that cost you a disqualification?

"I had the chance to meet Califano, I hadn't kept score of my bookings and I made a mistake, but in the end "tutto il resto è noia" ("all the rest is boring", the title of an Italian song, translator's note.  Should be “All the rest…”?) brought me good luck. I scored seven goals after that and many wins have come!".

What do you see in your future? Perhaps a career as a coach, as Udinese chairman suggested?

"Perhaps coach for the youth team.. the pitch is my passion, but I'd like to continue the path with children, they make me feel young and I want to put my experience at their service. As for my future as a player, I only need to rest a bit, I was tired before the beginning of this season. The president knows that, a bit of rest and everything will be OK. And speaking about this season, I'd like to thank the coach, Guidolin, and my trainer Paolo Artico, who allowed me to work well after the Euro championship. I never thought I could score another 22 goals, but I did".

Your relationship with Guidolin? And with the Pozzo family?

"I have a good relationship with the coach, a few days ago I made a joke with him about his future. Sometimes it happens to have a bad moment as in Palermo.. sometimes it's me, sometimes it's him… I told him to stay here, he's a good relationship with the team and the fans. I want to thank Mr. Pozzo for the good words he said about me, I have a special relationship with him, everything I've done was for him and his family".

With 175 goals you rank 12th in the all-time Serie A top scorer ranking..

"When I see that ranking, I feel I've done my best. If I search the low end (“low-end”?) it's me, perhaps! Being one of the top 12 makes me proud, if I am given the strength I will try and get to the top 8. I can do it. When they gave me the shoe for my 100th goal I didn't think I could achieve more, yet here we are, at 175… One day I wish I could tell my children I broke a higher record, perhaps 200".

You have a complicated relationship with penalty kicks, despite being such a great scorer…

"If we look at statistics, every year I get one penalty wrong, this year I failed twice. I had the chance to meet Baggio and he told me that "it's normal to fail when you score a lot". If you think about it, Totti himself failed lots of penalty kicks, yet he's scored 200 goals. I actually think it's more annoying to fail when you're one meter away from the goal. It was nice when, against Roma, the president and his son, Gino, told me "you're nuts!". Totti didn't tell me anything, the goalkeeper looked askance… the best scorer is Balotelli, he has the ability to stop and look straight at the goalkeeper, it's not easy. Sometimes you can fail too".

Do great football stars still exist?

"Not really. Only few remain… Totti, Maldini, Del Piero, even if I didn't like how his relationship with Juve ended. I feel I belong to this shirt, I am proud of it, I've had a rich career full of satisfactions".

You brought your commitment in football to Udine with your football schools for children..

"It was my dream, to run a football school. Ancona and Donatello are two important teams, we have been working with the mayor to set up a great sports centre as we did for Ancona. I said "yes" to the Donatello project at once, we want to have our boys trained as soon as possible: I hope the works can start before leaving for holidays".

Totò then said something about the non-profict (“non-profit”?) auction for the statuette realized for the 150th goal scored against Pescara: "I hope a great bid will be made, it would be important for Udinese's non-profit organization Udinese for Life. I also want to greet the convicts of Udine prison, I went to visit them a few days ago. We want to organize a football match in September or October for them, to make them smile". Another proof, in case you need it, of the captain's great heart…