Enemies never, for those who are old friends as they are Rino Gattuso and Andrea Pirlo, who compete for the Italian Super Cup, the first trophy up for grabs of the 2020-21 season. High-tension final, which confronts the coach who hasn’t won anything yet (Pirlo) and the one who took the trophy home last year (Gattuso).
The teams that the two world champions train – Juventus and Naples – are returning from a Sunday of opposite feelings. Pirlo has to deal with the heavy defeat at San Siro against Inter, a misstep that has cracked many certainties in the Juventus home and that has slowed down the team’s growth process.
The problems of Juventus? Chiellini and Bonucci perhaps reached the last corner of their extraordinary career, the midfield did not find an identity and in attack Cristiano Ronaldo is experiencing his grayest period since he has been in Italy. On the other side, on the Naples side, Gattuso travels on the wave of enthusiasm, after the resounding 6-0 victory against Fiorentina and found his guiding star in Lorenzo “Il Magnifico” Insigne.
But beyond the technical issues, the Super Cup offers the challenge between two champions who have won everything with Milan and the national team: scudetti, Champions League, especially the World Cup. Very close, true friends. In the field Gattuso was Pirlo’s squire, the man called to watch his back. Gattuso growled, Pirlo delighted. Listen to Gattuso: «When I saw Pirlo kick the ball I thought: he and I don’t play the same sport».
In the national team retreats we slept in the same room. “But Andrea made me angry – Gattuso always said – the nights before the finals I rolled in bed because I couldn’t sleep, while after two minutes he slept happily”. And his friend’s Pirlo often recalled the funniest episode, when before a Milan-Juventus that was valid for the Scudetto Growl – during training – as a bet, and stimulated by Andrea himself, he picked up a snail from the ground and swallowed it, to the amazement of his companions. He wanted to show – Gattuso – that he was ready to do anything to win.
Pirlo dresses like a milord, Gattuso is more free-range, often shows up on the bench in overalls (which Andrea would never do). Pirlo speaks with a monotonous chant and has only one expression, Gattuso – although he is good at communicating even with a single glance – could have come out of the Actor’s Studio. When last summer Pirlo became Juventus coach, Gattuso commented: «And now I’m c… ..your friend my». Jokes, complicity, jokes, affection. This time the Italian Super Cup is up for grabs, in anticipation of a rematch: there is still a date to be found for that Juventus-Napoli postponed to October due to Covid.
The match is at 9 pm at the Mapei Stadium in Reggio Emilia. Rai Uno broadcasts it live.
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