L u c a w C R I S T I A N O L U C A R E L L I ( L I V O R N O ) Q & A

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a L u c a w h o ’ s L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s L u c a w h o ’ s L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s L u c a w h o ’ s L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s L u c a w h o ’ s L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s L u c a w h o ’ s L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s L u c a w h o ’ s L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s L u c a w h o ’ s L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s L u c a w h o ’ s L u c a w 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k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u 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s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w 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u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a L u c a w h o ’ s t a l k i n g L u c a w h o ’ s t a

C r i s t i a n o L u c a r e l l i w a s i n v i t e d t o s p e a k a t a s e m i n a r o n I t a l i a n f o o t b a l l a t U n i v e r s i t y C o l l e g e L o n d o n r e c e n t l y . S u s y C a m p a n a l e w a s t h e r e t o w i t n e s s t h e u n i q u e e v e n t

C r i s t i a n o L u c a r e l l i i s “ a n a t y p i c a l p l a y e r , ” a c c o r d i n g t o J o h n F o o t , w r i t e r o f C a l c i o , A H i s t o r y o f I t a l i a n F o o t b a l l . H e w a s c h o s e n a s t h e e m b l e m o f a B a n d i e r a – a f l a g f o r h i s b e l o v e d c l u b – a n d o n e o f t h e v i c t i m s o f t h e C a l c i o p o l i s y s t e m . A m a n w h o h a s a l w a y s r e f u s e d t o s t a y s i l e n t a n d w h o c l a s s e s h i m s e l f a s “ t h e o p p o s i t e o f t h e i d e a l p l a y e r . ” T h e L i v o r n o s t r i k e r w a s i n v i t e d t o s p e a k a t a s p e c i a l e v e n t a t U n i v e r s i t y C o l l e g e L o n d o n t i t l e d M o n e y , P o l i t i c s a n d V i o l e n c e : d o e s I t a l i a n f o o t b a l l h a v e a f u t u r e ? Y e t t h e b i g i s s u e d i s c u s s e d b y L u c a r e l l i a n d h i s a g e n t C a r l o P a l l a v i c i n o w a s h i s t h e s p e c u l a t i o n s u r r o u n d i n g h i s o w n p l a y i n g f u t u r e a w a y f r o m t h e S t a d i o P i c c h i .

Y o u s a i d t h e f a n s l e t y o u d o w n a n d y o u r e f u s e d a n i n v i t e t o j o i n t h e U l t r a s i n t h e s t a n d s . W h a t h a p p e n e d ? I h a v e g i v e n e v e r y t h i n g I c o u l d f o r t h i s c l u b , p r o b a b l y m o r e , a n d d i d n o t r e c e i v e 1 0 0 p e r c e n t i n r e t u r n . I d i d n o t w a n t t o g o t o t h e C u r v a b e c a u s e i t w o u l d s e n d o u t m i x e d m e s s a g e s . A l s o , a s m a l l g r o u p w a s p l a n n i n g a p r o t e s t a g a i n s t P r e s i d e n t A l d o S p i n e l l i . I f I h a d b e e n t h e r e , t h e y w o u l d h a v e s a i d I h a d o r g a n i s e d i t . W h a t i s s o s p e c i a l a b o u t L i v o r n o ? A b s o l u t e l y n o t h i n g , t h a t ’ s t h e b e a u t y o f i t . I a l w a y s s a y t h e r e ’ s s o m e t h i n g i n t h e a i r , a m a g i c a l a t m o s p h e r e . W h e n I w a s a k i d e v e r y o n e i n m y n e i g h b o u r h o o d s u p p o r t e d b o t h L i v o r n o a n d a b i g c l u b , a s w e w e r e i n S e r i e C a t t h e t i m e . I u s e d t o g e t a n g r y w i t h t h e m w h e n t h e y s a i d L i v o r n o w a s o n l y t h e i r s e c o n d c h o i c e .

D i d y o u s u p p o r t a n o t h e r s i d e t o o ? Y e s . I t m a y s e e m a b i t c o n v e n i e n t t o s a y t h i s n o w , b u t i t w a s I n t e r . S o i t m u s t h a v e b e e n p l e a s i n g t o s e e y o u r s e l f l i n k e d w i t h t h e N e r a z z u r r i ? I t w a s f l a t t e r i n g , y e s . I t w a s g r e a t t o h e a r p r a i s e f r o m P r e s i d e n t M a s s i m o M o r a t t i , o n e o f t h e f e w m e n i n t h i s s p o r t w h o I t r u l y r e s p e c t a n d a d m i r e . H e i s a g e n t l e m a n . Y o u h a v e t a k e n y o u r h o m e t o w n c l u b t o S e r i e A a n d t h e U E F A C u p , b u t n o w w a n t t o m o v e o n . W h a t c o u l d p o s s i b l y t o p t h e L i v o r n o e x p e r i e n c e ? T h a t i s a q u e s t i o n I s h a l l h a v e t o p o n d e r o v e r t h e n e x t f e w m o n t h s . I t h i n k t h e h i g h p o i n t w a s r e a c h i n g t h e U E F A C u p t h i r d r o u n d , a s c o n s i d e r i n g t h e e c o n o m i c p o w e r o f t h e c l u b a n d i t s h i s t o r y , I r e a l l y d o u b t w e w i l l b e a b l e t o

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a who’s talking...

Cristiano Lucarelli and agent Carlo Pallavicino (second right) flew over to speak at John Foot’s (far right) seminar on Italian football

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hit that level again. One of the reasons I am considering leaving Livorno is that I don’t want to go on a downward spiral. It is best to bow out on a high note when memories of my presence will be looked upon fondly. But where do you, as a player, go from here? I don’t know. Right now all I want to focus on is keeping Livorno in Serie A. If I do decide to leave, which I want to reiterate I have not done yet, then that will be something I need to evaluate very carefully. Would you like another overseas experience? Yes, absolutely. If I had magic powers I would take the town of Livorno and transplant it to English soil. I like British football in general and admire the fact the stadiums have no fences dividing the fans from the pitch. What we must learn is the culture of accepting defeat. Unfortunately now in Italy there is this idea of winning at all costs, using any means, fair or foul. I can tell you that I have been through two relegations in my career and it is a living Hell for your family. You cannot accompany your wife shopping or your kids to school. When we see fans applauding their team even as they are relegated, then we will see an end to violence in the stadiums.

How else can the violence be stopped? I believe that in the past we did have the right laws to stop football violence, but they were not implemented. Now I see the government has introduced

Maybe I should go abroad, where I can talk to my heart’s content and nobody will understand me

tougher penalties and more restrictive rules – possibly too restrictive – and that may be counter-productive. What will you do in the future – sit behind a desk? Only if I go to the Open University. I hope I have a fair few years still left in me, as I feel in good shape physically. Many years down the line, when I do retire, I’d like to work with young people. What about running for Prime Minister? It should be noted that I stopped school at 14... Your left-wing affiliation is well known. Do you enjoy politics?

When people ask me political questions, I always have to wonder if they are serious or making fun of me. I have certain ideas and feel that every human being should be allowed to express them. People have died to preserve the right to free speech and we should not take it for granted. I am aware that as a player I can unite people’s opinions, but it is as a man that I divide them. The ideal football player is one who stays silent and never takes sides on any issue. I am the opposite of the ideal football player. Some of my colleagues have said in confidence that they envy my ability to speak out on matters that I care about. Unfortunately, most don’t want to rock the boat. Paolo Di Canio is not one of those people... I always admire someone who has the guts to put himself out there and give an opinion, whatever it may be. The fundamental thing is reciprocal respect for one another’s ideas. If you leave Livorno, will you find a club happy to let you express yourself? I don’t know who’d have me. Maybe I should just go abroad, that way I can talk to my heart’s content and nobody will understand what I’m saying.

www.channel4.com/footballitalia June 2007 71