At that time. if you scraped your knee
you would not go and tell your parents.
even when you returned home with sores or wounds.
nobody would know about it.
If they called to tell you to go to the pitch. when you were working.
they called my father. you expected something serious.
Otherwise nobody would call your father.
for minor wounds. just cleaning them would be enough.
When my father came running with such an anxiety.
because they called him and he thought it was serious.
when he saw me standing. even if covered in blood.
he said: "Well. it will stop bleeding.
"it wasn't as serious as I expected."
A meaningful anecdote. and not only because I was a goalkeeper:
I told my father: "I wasn't expecting that shot".
and he replied: "You aren't a pharmacist. you're a goalkeeper."
In my family. there was no excuse. and that's important.
You could not say: "He didn't play well because he's got a cold".
He said things were simple. that was my position.
and I had to pay attention. I could even let a goal in.
but I could not say that I was taken by surprise.
What are you doing there? He would ask.
Eliminating any excuse. the frills from the substance.
Being clear. because things are simple and linear.
This anecdote could be used in any field of life.
any profession.
It was useful for me to overcome critical moments.
you would like to say: "I could have caught that ball".
but I start from the assumption that if I did not catch it.
I was not able to catch it. it was not unstoppable.
I was not able to catch it.
Maybe I made a mistake. maybe today I would catch it.
but it is pointless to say "if I had. if I had not".
in that moment I did not do it. that's it.
In that moment. I was not able to do that.
The fact of feeling responsible
comes from not being humble and being arrogant at work.
I have to say it. that's how it works.
when one feels responsible for 40-50% of the goals conceded.
it means he considers himself as perfect.
that's a lack in humility. and it is arrogant.
but at the same time it allows you to improve constantly.
If you always feel responsible and know that you could have done more.
you will work harder to do more.
even if it comes from a lack of humility and from arrogance.
from feeling perfect. or wanting to be perfect.
It's a big fault.
but it helps you improve.
In this world...
having your voice heard is always crucial.
Great silences are for great men.
who in their field are someone. someone in the moral field.
the others...
Sometimes silence. when a person is polite. clever and honest
and doesn't talk too much. it means he doesn't need to talk.
In today's world there are many new celebrities.
who keep on talking and criticising.
some of them are even negative figures.
It's a contrast.
Talking less makes you look less negative at least.
I do not feel the glory.
I am very pleased when they ask me for an autograph.
I am a little narcissistic. too.
However...
that never changed my behaviour.
because I have a basis that I inherited from my family.
my mother. my father. the whole family.
that you have to be honest and have your dignity.
When you are confident with your dignity.
you realise they are all the same.
not meaning below you. but they are all human beings.
I do not see any difference between the Prime Minister
and homeless people. No difference at all.
I am not scared of facing anyone.
I feel strong in my being.
in my dignity.
You do not have to be scared or frightened by anyone.
Experience has taught me that there are impolite people...
in any profession or position.
My behaviour is linear. because that is natural for me.
It is...
It is that willingness to see things...
even taking into consideration the anomalies in the world.
to think that on the other side there will always be good people.
without tarring everyone with the same brush. as they say.
there are always good people.
there really are.
We are used to look at the minority that screams and misbehaves.
but there is always a good-hearted majority.
and you have to take this into consideration.