Alfredo Gavazzi, president of the Fir for two terms, goes away weakened by months of illness, protagonist of heated rivalries with the oval Veneto both in the field and for sports policy, almost to white heat with Benetton and then with the clubs gathered under the umbrella of the Doges in the management of the Celtic era started by his predecessor Dondi.
The electoral clashes against Zatta, president of Treviso, candidate in 2012 and against Innocenti, president of the then Civ in 2016, were absolutely hard, then the epilogue in the race for a third term that was shattered as his majority sided with the godson Paolo Vaccari and who in any case lost. This is the public man.
The truth of the field tells of a 72-year-old man who is passionate about rugby like few others. As a kid he played football, then at the age of twenty in 1970 together with Gianluigi Vaccari (father of the blue winger Paolo) and a few other friends he founded Calvisano, in the years when Brescia was strong in Lombardy and the club had yet to be born. it was Milan. Indeed it was from the ashes of the Rossoneri that they merged with Calvisano, that the strength of the Gialloneri grew. Up to becoming the team to beat in the championship finals first by Benetton then, in the last twelve years, often with Petrarca and Rovigo.
Amava teased him, as when the day after a final won with the Bersaglieri, he was found in the square to read the newspapers and drink coffee.
He had the attitude of the patron towards his Calvisano, it could not be otherwise for a club he founded, in which he played 13 years taking him from Serie D to the then A. He played prop and hooker: “But I started as a scrum half” he said one day “then starting to strengthen myself I went to the front line”. In addition, the whole town of Calvisano was involved in his adventure, the rugby players sitting at the benches of the mayor, councilors or city councilors, including his wife and children who later took over the management of the club.
He struggled to detach himself from president Fir, the Calvisano-centric vision remained, through an Academy stationed in Remedello and more.
As president Azzurro, albeit with a winning debut against Tonga at the Rigamonti in Brescia, he experienced the long streak of defeats in the 6 Nations since that acute in Edinburgh in 2015 when the Parisse national team hit the second away victory against Scotland. It lasted until the end of his management, which was interrupted a few months ago in Wales.
The two World Cups (2015 in England and 2019 in Japan) did not give the joy of a move to the quarterfinals. He believed Jacques Brunel (although not chosen by him) who in 2013 with the home victories over France and Ireland and those close to in London and the following year in Paris, seemed to have given a definitive turning point to Cinderella’s blue destiny.
His first bet was Conor O’Shea who gave him the best moment in November 2016 in Florence with the victory over South Africa, one of the powers of the South.
He then contacted Rob Howley, with O’Shea still in the saddle, but the Welshman ready to take over Italy in January 2020 was overwhelmed by his gambling addiction. He had tried to bring Eddie Jones, but the Aussie and all his staff had superstar requests. And the Azzurro ended up in the hands of Franco Smith.
He always believed in the Academies in which he invested further by hiring Aboud, the man under whom the youngest talents began to flourish after two decades of disappointment. And that they are the backbone of Kieran Crowley’s group.
Italy Women will play with mourning in the arm in the world quarter final on Saturday morning (5.30) against France. A minute of silence was also arranged in all the Italian championships at the weekend. His funeral (perhaps Saturday 29) will begin on the lawn of the Calvisano stadium.