All with Sinisa

MIHAJLOVIC Renzo Ulivieri, president of Assoallenatori, commented on Bologna's dismissal of Sinisa Mihajlovic: «I cried, because I thought about the suffering of this boy, stronger than leukemia, capable of leading a team of Serie A. Feelings come before economic projects». I drink like fresh water all the speeches of Pope Francis, the only one who has a clear picture of a world that is falling apart. UNFAIR

FEDERER God save the King entitled L'Equipe, to celebrate the retirement of a super ace: the tennis player Roger Federer, at 41 years old. Since his debut in 1998, he has won 20 Grand Slam tournaments, and overall 103 tournaments on the professional circuit. In this space, however, we like to underline the real driving force of his career: the family. Happy husband and father, he has been married for 13 years to former tennis player Mirka Vavricevic, and has 3 children. LEGENDARY

SCHUURHUIS Athletica Vaticana Cycling made its debut in the cycling world championships in Australia. The Holy See team is led by the "flying" Dutchman Rien John Schuurhuis. Pope Francis imparted the athlete's blessing, in memory of the great Gino Bartali, who, if he were still young, would be the undisputed leader of the formation, with 800 Jews saved by bicycle. His canonization is in progress. DEBUTANT

CRIPPA Italy is the homeland of the fastest Olympic man, Marcell Jacobs, king of the 100 meters, and of the most resistant athlete on the track, Yeman Crippa, king of the 10,000 meters at the last European Championships. The first was born in El Paso to an American father and an Italian mother. The second was born in Dessie, Ethiopia, and, after the death of his parents, he ended up first in an orphanage in Addis Ababa and then in the arms of a couple from Milan. Sport is an example of integration. MULTICOLOR

RANOCCHIA A thirty-four year old defender who gave up his 2 million salary, a very rare fact, and his career as a footballer. Andrea Ranocchia, who spent a few months from Inter at Monza, realized that there is not only the light of the spotlights. There is also another light, that of common existence, which lit up, while the other one went out. He was very honest with himself and with others, without stealing anyone's money. ILLUMINATED

AZMOUN Sardar Azmoun, center forward of Bayer Leverkusen and the Iranian national team, expressed himself, after the killing of Mahsa Amini, for the badly worn veil: «I am willing to risk the ouster of the national team, and much worse, just to shout my shame for what happened. Long live Iranian women." It was Ali Karimi, the "Maradona of Asia", now forty-three, who started the protest in the world of sport. BRAVE

UNION BERLIN Union Berlin is talked about not only for having climbed to the top of German football, but for 2 other reasons. In 2004, the federation asked for one and a half million euros to participate in the championship. The fans created the campaign "Bluten für Union" and the fans improvised a blood donation, in a country where it is paid. In 2008, the crumbling stadium was modernized, thanks to the 140,000 hours of work of the fans, champions of altruism. HEROIC

Carlo Nesti
NP November 2022