Today, he opens up exclusively to Flashscore in an unprecedented and deeply intimate way. The occasion is the release of his new book, Le lezioni del campo (Lessons from the Pitch). A work written entirely by his own hand, in the silence of the early morning hours, when the mind is clearest and most in tune with itself.
More than a simple sports autobiography, the book is a true synthesis of his life, sparked by his experience on the Camino de Santiago and marked by the memory of a travel companion who passed away prematurely.
A human testament made of values which the former national team playmaker wanted to put down on paper to leave a mark, first and foremost, for his children.
Flashscore: The title of your book is Lessons from the Pitch. What do you feel you learned most of all from the football pitch?
Albertini: "Objectively, a great deal, because the pitch was a true school of life. If you think about it, our lives always develop within a community: family, friends, school, city, nation. And a football pitch is exactly a miniature community: there are teammates, opponents, the referee acting as a regulator, and outside observers. Not to mention everything the dressing room encompasses.
"I didn't have a traditional or academic education. I retired from playing in March 2006, and by May I became the vice-commissioner of the Italian FA (FIGC) during a particularly delicate moment. I had to learn on the job how to be an executive, a manager, and a sports politician. But the foundations I built everything on weren't academic: they came from my ability to live in and manage the community of my dressing room and my squad."
The book opens with an experience far removed from football: the Camino de Santiago. What did you discover on that journey?
"That journey was a synthesis of my life. Subconsciously, the book almost became a tribute to my friend Roberto, with whom I shared the Camino: I gave him an advance copy with a dedication on the Sunday, and on the following Wednesday, when the book was published, he passed away. There are two pivotal figures in the book: Roberto and Franco Baresi.
"I wanted to recount the most beautiful aspects of that journey. I wrote it waking up early, between five and seven in the morning: it was the time when I was most in tune with myself, in the silence. Retracing the stages of the Camino (from France to Spain, the meeting of pilgrims, the mutual encouragement to climb to O Cebreiro, right up to the destination), I realised it is the perfect metaphor for football and life: you reach a stage, but nothing is certain, and there is always another departure waiting for you."
You explained that you also wrote this book for your children. What is the main lesson you want to pass on to them?
"First and foremost, setting an example. Today, we often tend to delegate the education of our children to the community or to technology: smartphones and screens are used to keep kids quiet, avoiding the effort of saying 'no' or teaching the value of earning something. My wife and I are satisfied with the path we've taken as parents.
"We both come from families rich in values (she is from the South, I am from the North) and we want to pass on to our children the simple concept that things are achieved through effort and by maintaining a grounded, human pace. Ambition is beautiful because it pushes you to constantly improve, but it must never turn into arrogance."
When did you realise you would really become a footballer?
"I made my debut on January 15th, 1989, at 17 years old. There was fog, and it was cold. I played for a quarter of an hour, a gift. When I came off the pitch, a fan approached me and said: 'Well done, Albertini, but let's hope you don't lose your way because I've seen so many make their debuts...'.
"An immediate blow! For two years I wanted to finish school for my parents, studying on my own for my exams because I cared about it. Then, when I went to Padova, there was a real test; you had actual responsibilities. At 17, with your debut, you write the title, but then you have to write the rest of the book through the daily life of a player."
Among the many pages of your career, there's that famous 30-yard walk in Pasadena during the 1994 World Cup final. How heavy are those steps?
"If you ask me that, I still get goosebumps; I'm not joking! Furthermore, it was my first ever penalty as a professional. Recklessness, I call it. It was a penalty driven by recklessness, because I was the youngest in the squad.
"The 30-yard walk back is beautiful if you've scored, like in '94. In '98 I missed, and the emotional response is different! After '94, I had two artist friends paint a picture for me capturing that extraordinary season, winning the Scudetto, the Champions League, reaching the World Cup final and scoring the penalty, under a single word: Courage. Because it takes courage to start again after losing a World Cup that seemed won, and the courage to ask: 'What do I do now?'.
"On the penalty spot, you can practice the technique, but what makes the difference is your self-awareness."
You had two exceptional masters during your career: Arrigo Sacchi and Fabio Capello. What did they leave you with?
"I divide them into two groups: those who manage and those who teach. Sacchi turned me into a 'football player': before, I was simply someone who struck the ball well. He inserted me into a mechanism.
"He once told me: 'You have to enjoy watching the others play', and inside I was thinking, 'But I want to play!'. Then you understand that that is the role of the playmaker.
"Capello, on the other hand, had the courage to come and get me from Padova when the club was telling him to leave me there. He always had an extraordinary sensitivity with young players and a unique ability to manage the champions, using the carrot and the stick at exactly the right time with everyone."
Milan DNA
Another point of reference was Franco Baresi.
"Franco was an example; we learned by watching him. He taught us the DNA of AC Milan. Every squad and every club has a different DNA, and the hardest thing is the inclusion of the new people who arrive.
"Franco was the historical memory of the suffering Milan in Serie B. He brought the team from there and added value to the fortune of that current moment. That is what I teach my children: you must add value to what you want to achieve, not what you already have."
How was your relationship with Silvio Berlusconi?
"He was a 'father president'. He always had the right words to guide me in my growth. From the time he called me at home on the phone and I couldn't believe it, thinking it was a prank, to when I became part of the 'old guard' and he told me: 'I will always be there for you'.
"He was a conqueror. He turned something utopian, making Milan the strongest team in the world, into reality."
Leaving Milan in 2002 was a painful moment. How did you get over it?
"I didn't expect it to end like that, absolutely not. I took it very badly. I would have liked to finish my career at Milan, but I would repeat my entire subsequent path because it made me a different person. I was deeply hurt, but the suffering passes."
And then you went to Atletico Madrid.
"A wonderful experience. I wanted to experience playing abroad; I didn't go for the money, but to experience something beautiful."
How did you end up at Lazio?
"Roberto Mancini called me when I left Milan, but I had already given my word to Atletico. Then, when I returned to Italy, we spoke again, and I went. To my Romanista friends who say it's a flaw in my career, I reply that I was missing the Coppa Italia and I won it with Lazio!"
And Atalanta?
"Atalanta was a matter of the heart and affection for the history of Atalanta's youth sector and for Mino Favini. I wanted to put myself at the disposal of the youngsters."
Passing from a provincial club to Barcelona?
"Frank Rijkaard called me one day: 'What are you doing in Bergamo?' Then he came to watch me for four to five games because they had injuries and were looking for an experienced player in the midfield. I won LaLiga there and was part of a wonderful group."
And that young Argentine kid who played with you (Lionel Messi)? He knew who you were, but you didn't know who he was!
"That is the absolute truth! I called a friend of mine from Mantova, who is a massive Juventus fan, and I told him: 'I've seen the new Maradona'. The following year, Juve went to play the Joan Gamper Trophy, and Capello said to Rijkaard: 'Give that kid to me!'.
"But from then on, he played as a regular starter in Barcelona.
"In that same dressing room, there was Ronaldinho. Could such an exceptional talent afford to break the rules, or would he have been even greater with more discipline? With a bit more discipline, he could have stayed at the top for much longer.
"Today, Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi show us that you can stay at the highest level for 20-25 years. Talent is a mission: you have it, and you should use it to bring us joy for as long as possible."
As an executive, how do you explain the crisis in Italian football that caused us to miss two World Cups?
"It stems from the fact that we always want to make the minimum effort for the maximum yield. There are three main factors behind the change: the Bosman ruling, the European Union, and collective TV rights. Before, you had to create value through the youth sector because you only had three foreigners. First, we need to understand what we want to be: if we want to be a transition league, that's fine, but if we want to return to being the main league, it takes hard work."
What will Demetrio Albertini do when he grows up?
"The playmaker!"