The former Sampdoria boss, who has always had a passion for oval, will be at the helm of the Ligurian rugby team for the next four years.
Enrico Mantovani, Chairman of the Ligurian Regional Aviation Information Committee
His Italian title was immediately merged with football and the Sampdoria title giving his fans many satisfaction, including the 1990-1991 season tournament, however – as evidenced by the voice on the phone coming in from him – Enrico Mantovani, son of the historical patron Paolo (President Sampdoria in the “golden years” of Genoa, as well as Enrico himself who succeeded him between 1993 and 2000) is a huge rugby fan.
From the practice of a rugby player to the new chairperson of the regional flight information committee in Liguria, the path has not been very short but the enthusiasm and ideas seem to be lacking, as he tells us in this chat.
Hey Enrico, Not many people know about his rugby training: Can you start by describing that to us?
“Good morning to you, yes for sure. The story started a few years ago, to be exact when I was 15. I moved to Geneva to attend an international school: There were many Anglo-Saxon boys with whom I tried my hand at various sports practices. We started with football,” he said. Then a Scottish friend said to me, ‘Why don’t you come and play rugby one night? From there it all started.A passion that continues today as’ old’ in the Cavalieri di San Giorgio group, a team I have played in since 2010 here in Genoa, but personally I breathed in The United States when I enrolled at Boston University, and I chose to practice in this case is also rugby, which I also bring back when I return to Geneva in a second term, where I was part of the Old Boys in Geneva for 7 years.
Strong friendships are created and taught in a certain way. I couldn’t “grab” my stepdaughter from football (laughs), but playing rugby is something I would recommend to everyone. “
Now we ask you the question that many people asked themselves when they learned of your election: Where did the idea of your candidacy come from?
I followed the federal election because I had many friends participating and I must say that I am happy with the announcement of Innocenti. This, while waiting to be able to resume training, gave me a boost, even if at first I wasn’t fully aware of the regional situation. Then came Paulo Rickspono, a longtime friend of the rugby player, who at that moment was having a hard time finding a candidate who could try to be a common and appropriate expression for everyone. I don’t know how, but he surprised me and told me: “Why don’t you apply as head of the Ligurian Regional Flight Information Committee?” From there, I decided to accept.
In his new position, he will succeed Oscar Tabor, who held 4 mandates in Liguria. Not a small responsibility, but also an incentive …
“I can tell you that I experience everything as a responsibility and as a catalyst: both sides matter. I know Tabor and I know his son because he plays with me. I know that Oscar, to whom I express appreciation and affection, had 17 years as president and I know how he lived rugby in a complete way, and he is In contact with names like Bolsan.
Having said that, we know there is a need for renewal and Tabor himself was the first to say so: Nobody sent him, he stepped aside after giving so much. Now it’s up to me and us to find a new vision. We must take what has been achieved as a starting point.
What are the first things I noticed about the health status of Ligurian rugby given that it is a regional region that enables the expression of the athletes that we then find at a high level and with good regularity?
“The first thing that I saw is that it is not easy to work on unity of purpose, but this is something that always appears a little in Liguria and it is not just related to the mathematical field. The second area that should be kept under observation is that related to factory engineering: We know the geographical difficulties related to the region, and we do not depend We have to, but the thing we have to do is help clubs play at all levels. And here I reached the technical goal: playing regularly will allow us to develop a system of youth that rises to the top. It seems trivial, but starting from the base seems to me the right thing, because we have seen Starting from the top in many cases has not been paid. It will take time, patience and perhaps sometimes the ‘ability to copy’ the interesting things that others suggest, without shame. ‘
Let’s get back to his election for a moment …
“I’ll start with choosing Marzio Innocenti: It sparked a spark within me at the managerial level, which I probably didn’t expect of myself in the rugby world. Obviously, after framing my candidacy I did a survey to understand whether my name was acceptable and usable: ironically, the elections were The “easiest” thing. But I would like to say one thing: I am not someone who emerged from a multi-party election. Instead, I am ready to fight to ensure that the things that are fun for everyone can get out of this situation. “
A question related to the world of football but we cannot avoid it: his sister Ludovica Mantovani, head of the women’s division of the federation. Could this lead to some link between football and rugby in the future?
“Marzio Innocenti told me he had the opportunity recently to have a conversation with Gabriele Gravina, FIFA president, and then, after seeing that I think I know something about football, I joined the conversation. On this occasion, my sister also told everything, Someone has seen me playing rugby since I was a kid, and it is not certain that there will be no common paths in the future. These are opportunities in which we can all learn. “
The last question: Will the Italian national team return to Genoa?
It is one of the main goals of the coming years. However, we know we must deserve it, even if the city always responds well to this type of initiative. Hence, Marasi is a structure that can be easily combined with this type of event. “
Michelle Cassano
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