Legendary Roma captain and World champion Bruno Conti shared a lengthy opinion piece in Il Foglio, describing his first steps as a footballer.
“I was born in Nettuno where, in the background, there is one of the seas dearest to the Romans. As a kid I played baseball in the summer, the sport that had brought fame and glory to my city. I was an excellent left-handed pitcher and seemed predestined for a bright career.”
“The president of Nettuno Alberto De Carolis and his colleague from Santa Monica asked my father for authorization to take me to America. He thought about it for half an hour and then declined the offer. Two years later I was a footballer for Roma, the team of my destiny.”
“My best teammates? In first place I put Agostino Di Bartolomei, my captain, my leader, my friend. After Agostino, those closest to my heart are Ancelotti and Pruzzo, of whom I had already been a teammate at Genoa and a comrade during his military service. We were meant to play together. I passed him the ball and he filled the net. Roma has been and remains my life.”
