Between the derby played and the football as told, it seemed like an unequal challenge. But on Friday evening at the Teatro Sociale Villani in Biella, in perfect conjunction with Serie A Juve-Toro, images certainly not live on the big screen behind the stage. They were talking about Claudio Marchisio, the black and white guest who tickled the curiosity of the fans more than the exploits on the green rectangle by Vlahovic (about where Belotti’s fans were, doubts are few). The Municipality that conceived the “Champions under the stars” review in compliance with an almost perfect pedestrian level playing field and which, since the summer, has brought Javier Zanetti, Stefano Pioli and Ciccio Graziani to the city, was forced to open the doors of the boxes as well in front of the stage from which Pietro Mascagni also conducted a concert, such was the request for a seat (free) to listen to the voice and anecdotes of one of the Old Lady’s flags. Maybe Marchisio wasn’t expecting it either: «Thank you all for your presence – the former Bianconero Principino commented warmly -, for the questions that were asked of me and the patience for listening to me. Talking about each other, listening, living: it was a special evening ».
He too had a lot of patience. With the bowls stopped and the interview over, while comments on the outcome of the derby arrived on the phones of those who were already there, the former player stopped for a long time to indulge the fans. There are those who have given him something, such as a portrait or the (black and white) shirt of the Biellese that Juve has met in official matches nine times, with eight wins and one draw, but between 1919 and 1958, to mark the furrow very deep between two teams that also have the social colors in common. He reciprocated with photographs, autographs, dedications on his biography “My third time”, one of the topics discussed on stage. Indeed, the Councilor for Culture of the Municipality of Biella Massimiliano Gaggino, who is also a director and actor, read a few passages from the book to the audience. Then Marchisio, stimulated by the questions of Alessandro Alciato, a journalist from Biella, let his memories go, including a derby played in the Pulcini category in which he scored four goals. For the fans who (not) saw the draw at the Stadium, it was a burst of nostalgia.