Chapter 75 You are still Pirlo, and I am still...
After the two of them had tidied up, Pirlo took Fino for a stroll around the Coverciano training ground, explaining the function of each building and the location of each facility as they walked.
At noon, the two of them went to the canteen for lunch. By then, almost all the team members had arrived, and Gattuso and Zambrotta invited them to sit down together.
The relationships between players from different clubs in the Italian national team are generally good, but players from the same club tend to have closer relationships and are naturally more willing to sit together.
Fino and Pirlo came over with their plates and sat down next to Gattuso and Zambrotta.
“Finnie, I was going to share a room with you, but Andrea beat me to it. Feel free to ask me anytime if you need anything.” Zambrotta patted Finnie’s arm.
Fino smiled and nodded: "Andrea and I made an appointment in advance."
At this moment, Buffon also came over with his plate and sat down at the table next to Fino and the others.
Buffon greeted Fino with a grin: "Ciao, little beauty, I've finally waited for you to join the national team. You'll soon be in my hands, hehe~"
Fino immediately turned to look at Zambrotta: "Gianluca, I need you right now."
Zambrotta raised an eyebrow, looked at Buffon and said, "Wait for me on the training field after lunch. Eat less, I'm afraid you'll throw up."
Buffon's face fell: "Seriously, Gianluca? We spent five years together at Juventus, eating, showering, and sleeping together. I know Fini is good-looking, but you've only been at Milan for a few months! You're getting bored with things way too quickly!"
Zambrotta shuddered, then turned to Fino and the other two to explain, "He meant eating in the cafeteria together, living in the dormitory together, and showering together after training and matches."
Pirlo chuckled: "Thanks for your explanation, Gianluca, we almost misunderstood!"
Gattuso also burst into laughter.
"That's so cruel, Gianluca." Buffon continued to feign a pitiful dog-like expression. "Five years of friendship, and you just see it as teammate camaraderie, right?"
"Shut up, Gigi! Don't be so ambiguous!" Zambrotta's face was burning.
Buffon shrugged and turned to Fino, saying, "See? I am you in the future. Don't believe any Italian man's nonsense."
Fino looked down at his plate and nodded emphatically. He was rigorously trained; no matter how funny something was, he wouldn't laugh unless he couldn't help it...
"Pfft, hahahahahahaha..."
Buffon was so funny, and Zambrotta's frantic explanations as if facing a formidable enemy were also hilarious.
After lunch and a short rest, it was time to assemble. Fino and Pirlo went to the training field together.
During these national team training camps in the current season, physical and technical training are basically not conducted. The players' training content mainly focuses on cultivating tacit understanding and increasing cooperation, as well as analyzing opponents and practicing tactics.
After a thorough warm-up, the assistant coach divided the players into different groups based on their positions and characteristics, and conducted tactical training focusing on offense and defense respectively.
Fino was assigned to the forward group, where he trained passing and movement with Luca Toni, Giuseppe Rossi, Gilardino, and others. He then practiced various attacking tactics with the midfielders, and finally, everyone was divided into two large groups for set-piece tactical training.
The Italian national team will play two World Cup qualifiers during this international break: an away game against Bulgaria on October 11 and a home game against Montenegro on October 15.
Video analysis of the opponent and targeted tactical drills can be done before the match. The main task in the next few days is to improve the players' understanding and cooperation.
After training, the players went back to the locker room in twos and threes to shower and change.
“Finnie, you’re getting better and better.” Gilardino put his arm around Finnie’s shoulder.
Since Gilardino's transfer, they have rarely had the opportunity to meet. Now that Fino has finally been selected for the national team, Gilardino is very happy.
"The same goes for you. It's clear you're doing very well in Florence, and leaving Milan was the right choice."
Gilardino thinks so too.
Fiorentina's tactics suited him well, and he gradually regained his form and confidence. If it weren't for the injury he suffered at the end of last season, he would have had a very good chance of being selected for the European Championship this summer.
After leaving Milan, he finally found fertile ground to grow in, which is wonderful.
After the afternoon training session, the coaching staff let the players roam freely. Whether they did extra training or spent time in the recreation room, they were free to do whatever they wanted as long as they didn't leave the Coverciano training ground.
After dinner, Fino and Pirlo took a walk around the training field together.
The Coverciano training ground is located next to a village nestled in the mountains north of Florence, in a beautiful, quiet, and secluded environment.
The weather in early October is cool and pleasant, and the evening breeze in the mountains is very comfortable and pleasant.
They talked about their summer trip, a memory so wonderful that it's hard not to keep reminiscing about it.
“Andrea, let’s go again sometime? The South is so beautiful,” Fino said to Pirlo, gazing at the dark, low mountains in the distance.
“Of course, no problem. We can even go further, to Sicily. Driving around the island would be a lot of fun.” Pirlo crossed his arms behind his head. “The towns there are all in your style. Agrigento has a lot of Greek temple ruins, Palermo is a fusion of different cultural architecture, and Taormina, a small hill town, is very beautiful…”
Pirlo spoke eloquently and knowledgeably, captivating Fino with his story.
"That sounds amazing, we definitely have to go."
“Okay, it’s an agreement.” Pirlo curled the corners of his mouth.
As Fino rounded a corner, he found a soccer ball. There were a few trees nearby; it must have been overlooked by the staff while they were packing up the training equipment.
Fino kept the ball at his feet, dribbling while continuing to chat with Pirlo.
Pirlo's mischievous side kicked in, and he started to stick his foot out to steal the ball from Fino's feet.
Fino used his left and right feet alternately, skillfully dodging and weaving to keep the ball firmly under his feet, giving Pirlo no chance to intercept it.
“Andrea, your playmaking and long-range shooting are masterful, but your interception and stealing abilities are not as good as mine,” Fino teased.
Pirlo immediately started acting cheekily, tickling Fino and then, taking advantage of Fino's distraction while he was dodging, hooking the ball away.
"Foul! Foul!"
Fino chased after Pirlo, who was sprinting towards the middle of the training field with the ball, shouting as he caught up and immediately grabbed Pirlo's training uniform.
The two started playfully fighting on the training field.
Because he had to take care of Pirlo's leg, which had just recovered from injury, Fino quickly fell into a disadvantageous position and was pinned down by Pirlo, who tickled him relentlessly.
"Hahahaha... Truce... Truce..."
"Beg me!" Pirlo's men continued their work without stopping.
"Hahahaha...please...Andrea...have mercy on me..." Fino begged for mercy while laughing.
Pirlo stopped moving in a daze, then rolled over and lay down on the grass next to Fino.
Both of them lay flat on their backs and breathed for a while.
Fino put her hands behind her head, looked at the twinkling stars in the sky, and couldn't help but exclaim, "The stars are so beautiful tonight!"
“Yes, away from the light pollution of the city, the stars seem exceptionally bright,” Pirlo chimed in.
Neither of them spoke again, silently savoring the beautiful and tranquil night in the mountains.
It wasn't until it was almost time for Fino to rest that the two of them got up and returned to their dormitory.
The following evening, after dinner, Lippi led the entire national team to the Stadio Artemio Franchi, the home stadium of Florence, to support the charity match between Fiorentina and AC Milan.
The purpose of this charity match was to raise funds for Stefano Bogonovo's medical expenses.
Bogonovo played for AC Milan and Fiorentina in the 1990s before retiring in 1996. In 2005, Bogonovo was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), plunging him into financial hardship.
Besides players from both sides who were not on national team duty, a large number of retired stars also appeared in this match, including Tassotti, Baresi, Albertini, Costacurta, Donadoni, Massaro, Iachini...
Maldini is the only active player who has been teammates with Bogonovo.
Although Baggio, who also played for AC Milan and Fiorentina respectively, did not play, he performed a penalty kick at Bogonovo's request during halftime. Baggio, whose hair was already gray, calmly converted the penalty kick, which drew cheers from the crowd.
Sitting in the stands, Fino couldn't help but sigh. Although it was just a charity exhibition match, these older men still performed exceptionally well. They didn't lose to anyone; they only lost to time.
“He used to be my idol,” Pirlo said, staring intently at Baggio, “but we ended up going down different paths.”
Pirlo and Baggio played together at Inter Milan and Brescia. At that time, Pirlo played as an attacking midfielder and a second striker, and was even called Baggio's successor. But it was in the defensive midfield position that Pirlo truly unleashed his talent; he was the first truly commanding defensive midfielder in history.
“Although you have taken different paths, you are equally brilliant.” Fino patted Pirlo’s hand.
Looking at Baggio's gray hair, Pirlo felt a little sentimental.
"Time will not let any genius go unpunished; even the most dazzling person will one day leave in obscurity."
"Talented people emerge in every generation, each leading the way for hundreds of years. This is an ancient Chinese poem. New geniuses rise, and old geniuses inevitably fade away. At least now is our era, isn't it?" Fino reached out and hooked his arm around Pirlo's shoulder.
Pirlo turned to Fino and said, "Fino, I'm nine years older than you. One day, you'll look at me the way I look at Baggio now."
Fino didn't understand why Pirlo was so sad. He touched Pirlo's blond hair and gently comforted him, "What does it matter? We'll create many wonderful memories together on the pitch. Besides, football isn't everything in life. Even if we leave football, you'll still be Pirlo, and I'll still be Cabrini. We can still go shopping together, travel together, and witness each other's important moments."
Pirlo stared at him intently for a moment, then nodded slightly.
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