GOODBYE GIANNI

Gianni Mura's passing is, according to Arrigo Sacchi, a "grave loss for the country". The historic Rossoneri coach had the honour of being followed across stadiums all over Europe and the world by a great observer of football and life, namely the writer who passed away today.

Arrigo's words are touching: "I knew him well and admired him, he was an intelligent, educated and knowledgeable person." Was he in love with your AC Milan, Arrigo? "Yes, but not straight away, which isn't a bad thing. Intelligent people don't appreciate you because you praise them. He was perhaps, at first, a bit influenced by Gianni Brera's conservatism about our ways."

Then something happened… "Yes," Arrigo remembers. "We played a Coppa Italia game and lined up with a team almost entirely made up of youngsters, without our big Dutch and Italian names who were away for the Seoul Olympics. We played with Baresi, Costacurta, Galli, Massaro and Colombo, and the rest were youngsters from the Primavera. But we managed to beat Lazio 2-1 and I remember Gianni Mura wrote 'Now I’m convinced, if the boys play as well as the men then everything's okay'."

The game was AC Milan 2-1 Lazio at the Brianteo Stadium in Monza in September 1988. Sacchi continued: "I spoke to him last year, we were in Bologna for a Repubblica event. He was a great writer, a great wine connoisseur, he enjoyed good food, was never prejudiced, he was an enlightened man and one of the best journalists I’ve ever met."

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