The character
Andrea Raimondi met Vincenzo Italiano at a complicated moment in his career. It was 2016 and at Benevento, in Serie C, he had injured his crusader. At that moment the football of a certain level seemed to have closed any door in his face, despite a career so far lived in professionalism, with even seasons of Serie B behind him, between Padua, Juve Stabia and Trapani. “Do you want to come to us in Vigonza?”, Said the current Fiorentina coach, then Vigontina coach in Serie D, who also relegated despite a kick of applause, in that 2016-2017 tournament. Thus began the second sporting life of the attacker who in three matches has already made fans of the Belluno Dolomites fall in love. Two consecutive goals, an agreement already well underway with Simone Corbanese and the feeling of having found the right profile in the right place.
Yet, without the phone call from Italian, who knows how things would have turned out …
«Let’s say that 2016 was a special year. I had suffered the knee injury, but the problem is that what happened later turned out to be worse. In those situations, you expect help, support. Instead no one supported me, I felt abandoned to myself. And in those moments you begin to doubt a lot of things, you ask yourself a thousand questions ».
Then the phone rang …
«It was Vincenzo Italiano. He was trying to save Vigontina, in the end he couldn’t. Returning to the phone call, I must say that he already knew me. At the time when he was playing with Padova, I went to retreat a couple of summers together with the biancoscudati. Furthermore, in the year of C in Venice, Italian was the second of the technician Alessandro Dal Canto. He knew about my injury, he asked me if I wanted to go there. “
His answer?
«I didn’t want to accept, then in any case I played a game in that unfortunate season despite problems related to membership. Descending from category in general is never easy and for the same reason in the summer of 2017, I was tempted to say no to the request to follow him in Arzignano. Then I realized that I needed to calm down certain rhythms ».
In what sense?
«Living as a professional, the times of your daily life become hectic and at a certain point the need emerges to switch off, to always experience football with professionalism, but in a more serene way. The fact is that in Arzignano I scored a dozen goals and participated in a splendid year, with an annexed victory in the playoffs ».
You were a goal machine in that tournament. On the other hand, Italian has always given a show, with his teams.
«That Arzignano counted on players of the caliber of Odogwu, Valenti, Nobile, Ilari, combined with young people of great quality, like Maldonado now in C in Catania. We played in an offensive way, never giving up on wanting to impose our characteristics. And it was clear that Italian had clear ideas. Do you know what struck me in particular about him? ».
Please.
«The higher the level, the higher the quality of the football offered by his teams. After Arzignano he went to Trapani in C and brought him to B, the following season he won the playoffs with Spezia climbing in A. Then salvation, again with the Ligurians, and now Fiorentina. But the reason is there. The more players you have of a certain technical depth, the more chance you have of reaching the desired goal, if you have a very clear method ».
Do you still feel it today?
“Not really, except for some sporadic contact. Maybe it happens to meet again, if special reunions are organized. But I always follow him ».
After that season, she resumed playing.
«In D I found in part, obviously with due comparisons, the football of B. In C you get too much to exasperate the combativeness in the ninety minutes, here there is more attention to movements and so on. Thinking back, even if I didn’t want to do it at the time, going down the category was the correct decision ».
Did it also come to the Belluno Dolomites?
“It all happened quickly. For sure I needed a change of scenery, I was not at Luparense. The impact was positive for me, despite Cartigliano’s shocking debut. The goal is to do well here in Belluno and to communicate better with Corbanese and the other teammates. Beyond the performances offered up to now, it takes time to refine everything. But here I like it ».
Where can you get there?
“I don’t know yet. Or rather, let’s look at the standings: Arzignano is keeping an impressive pace, if they continue like this they win the championship with 80 and pass points, crazy numbers. Then football is strange: Adriese lost a promotion when they had a nine-point lead. In my opinion, behind them there are three or four teams able to keep the pace open. We are part of the handpiece that follows these five overall teams. One thing, however, I feel like saying: it takes time, after a merger. But we want to win every Sunday ».
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