The memory of the player who had played in Fiorentina and Cagliari and died in his hotel room in retirement before a championship match was collected by President Mattarella. After Draghi’s farewell, another “victory”: the tour in the coach discovered at first excluded for safety reasons
ROME. From ‘it’s coming Romè to the dedication to Davide Astori. There is the whole national team with its thousand emotions, exploded with the victory of the European Championship, in the 24 hours of Giorgio Chiellini and all the blues behind their captain. It was a joyous party on the Wembley field, with teasing to defeated rivals. It was a sleepless night before going to bed at dawn with the cup at her side. It was a profound emotion at the Quirinale when Chiellini had a special thought: “This victory is for Davide Astori: I knew him, we would have liked him to be here today ». A moving memory for the former Azzurri defender, who died on 4 March 2018 in his hotel room in retirement before a championship match due to heart failure; the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, also joined that emotion. “We won for something more than a penalty: for friendship – explained Chiellini – We felt like brothers of Italy”. We feel brothers not only in the celebration, but also in pain and difficulty, the message of the Azzurri.
From Wembley to Rome the Azzurri have come a long way made of songs, parties and some teasing. Like that of Bonucci who shouted ‘It’ coming Romè in the English cameras to overturn the English confidence of ‘it’s coming homè. Or the “you still have to eat a lot of pasta”, addressed to the British under the podium of the awards ceremony. The flight from London landed in Fiumicino at dawn, and right from the lineup the national team understood what awaited it in terms of heat. From the dozens of fans alongside, to the hundreds in front of the hotel, to the thousands in the streets of Rome and in front of Palazzo Chigi, there was a crescendo of cheers and thanks. So the Azzurri asked and obtained to be able to parade on an open bus when they left the meeting with Draghi.
“We won the deal,” Bonucci exulted before entering Palazzo Chigi, referring to the initial no of the Police Headquarters for security reasons. “We owed it to the fans: it is also thanks to them that we made it this far”. And with them they sang the hymn of Mameli, from the open bus. «So many difficulties, so many anxieties, but in the end shiny trophies», rejoices Immobile, one of the few blues criticized. But the Azzurri brothers gathered around, with Sirigu as a motivator (“before the final he gave us a note with a thought each: 25 cards …”, Florenzi said) or Gianluca Vialli, head of the whole group. “He is a special person,” Florenzi always said, speaking of the head of delegation, the twin of Mancini’s goal with a personal story of great courage. Remaining in London to enjoy the joy, he was the only one absent from the final dinner in the hotel, before the farewell to a day that the Azzurri will never forget.
