Foreword of the author The stadium in Brescia made an indelible impression. It is clear beforehand what to expect from San Siro or Stadio Olimpico. They admire the scale, history and grandeur, but this is an expected admiration. Another thing is the Mario Rigamonti Stadium. That's what really captured the spirit. This hopelessly outdated construction overflows incredible coloring. This can be found only in the Italian outback.
It is large enough (holds about 25 thousand), with angular and strikingly motley tribunes. There are no classic "bends", and behind the northern gate there is a mysterious structure - such an extension, which has a tubular frame and is decorated with a characteristic Bresian chevron in the form of the letter V. This sector of the ultras, it's "Curva nord Andrea Toninelli", named in memory of a fan of Brescia, who died in a car crash.
Most of all, the seats on the main stand. They are ... stone! I've never seen anything like this. Each place is numbered, everything is ready for use. Review - wonderful. From the lower rows the field is not very visible because of the abundance of billboards, but around the real foothills of the Alps (fans of the Serie A broadcasts probably noticed this feature), so that beauty never leaves these stands.
In this picturesque arena played the most original team - Brescia early 2000's. It did not achieve outstanding results, the competition was too high, but this period is considered the best in the history of the club. In season-2000/01 "swallows" ("Rondinelle") took the eighth, a record place for themselves, and in the summer of 2001 reached the final of the Intertoto Cup, where they lost to PSG. This team could beat Milan with Juventus or effectively smash the middle peasants, but Breshia was not loved for the results. Her trump card was outstanding personalities.
Carlo Mazzone The creator of this team, who led Brescia three seasons - from 2000 to 2003. Mazzone was not an "elite" mentor, did not win titles, and worked for the most part in the provinces. But he grew champions or gave a second youth to the heroes of the past. Mazzone (by the way, the indigenous Roman), heading Roma in 1993-96, brought up her main treasure - Francesco Totti. A little later, in Bologna, managed to restart the career of Giuseppe Signori.
Brescia became the starry hour of Carletto. He, as a true teacher, trusted the players, allowing them to create on the field, but also instructed and helped with advice. The ideal mix of freedom with care, the best conditions for true talents. "Tactics - bread for the poor, technology - for the rich". This quote by Mazzone, contrary to modern trends, reflected his philosophy. He did not need 11 disciplined robots on the field. On the contrary, his team revealed the individual qualities of players.
Recently, on March 19, Mazzone turned 81. He has not trained for more than ten years, lives for his own pleasure, has raised grandsons and even great-grandsons. "I've always been a lone wolf. He did not use the lobby of influential people, nor the favor of journalists. If I received something, then thanks to the determination and passion invested in the career of ". The main achievement of Mazzone is respect, with which the great.
Roberto Baggio In the summer of 2000, the "Divine Tail" was close to completing his career. He spent an unsuccessful season in Inter, stopped calling for the national team and even stayed without the club. What is this, if not the situation of the "downed pilot"? Roberto supported the form, doing individually at home, and they were interested in perhaps Regina, but then there was a variant with Brescia. Mazzone, who scrupulously studied the sports press, drew attention to the fact that Baggio was still without a contract, and was excited by the idea of ??bringing a real legend to the team.
So there was an amazing union. A sample of how to spend the final years of a glorious career. Not all stars left correctly. Juventus ugly parted with Del Piero, and Totti, on the contrary, stayed long in Rome, using the adoration of fans. Baggio found his niche. He played at his pleasure, without leaving his native championship, and Brescia received the leader and captain. In each of the four seasons Roberto scored at least a dozen goals (10-11-12-12), and some of them entered the gold fund of Calco - for example, the goal to Juventus in April 2001 after the throwing of Pirlo.
Baggio was so good that on the eve of the 2002 World Cup, it seemed that all of Italy required him to be included in the team's application. Roberto dreamed of playing at the World Cup and in his 34 years he created a miracle, in record time recovering from a rupture of ligaments. Alas, against was Giovanni Trapattoni, and who knows - it was the wisdom of Roberto that did not have enough "scuadre azurre" in the fatal match with South Korea.
He said goodbye to football on May 16, 2004. Symbolic match: Milan - Brescia. Two clubs, whose fans have made an alliance, and the two teams that played a significant role in Baggio's career. Since then, the tenth issue of Brescia has been assigned to Roberto.
That very goal Juventus. The precise casting of Pirlo and the amazing reception of Baggio Andrea Pirlo In November, when the Maestro was tied up with football, we recalled the milestones of his glorious career. It was in Brescia that Pirlo was formed, who is known and loved all over the world. This was the find of Mazzone, who combined on the field of Baggio and Pirlo, putting Andrea deeper, in front of the line of defense. So gifted, but sluggish "trekvartista" turned into a genius "registe". Mazzone was convinced that Pirlo, with his vision of the field, should play face to another's gate. Ancelotti in Milan used this idea, and Andrea grew up in one of the best players of the era.
Josep Guardiola Yes, the greatest coach of our time also played for Brescia. He spent just 24 matches for the "swallows", but this club supplemented the career of Guardiola player and, undoubtedly, influenced the formation of Guardiola-coach. Josep deliberately chose an extraordinary career continuation, wishing to become a team mate Baggio. Known episode when Roberto came on as a substitute after a long absence, and Guardiola, rushing to the curb, took off his captain's armband and gave it to the great Italian.
Guardiola still appreciates the years spent in Brescia. He even once said that he was inspired by football Mazzone. Pep, already being the coach of Barcelona, ??invited his ex-mentor to the final of the Champions League 2009, which was held in Rome. Guardiola called Mazzone and said that with him on the podium he would feel much more confident, and scarce tickets for Carlo and his old friend Edo had already been acquired. Mazzone at first thought that this was someone's rally, because Pep was already a superstar.
After the triumph in the final against Manchester United, Josep recalled Carlo: "I dedicate this victory to my teacher Mazzone. Play under his leadership was an honor and pleasure ". Guardiola is also grateful to the coach for his support in the doping scandal. In 2001, the Spaniard was disqualified for four months, but appealed and managed to win the case after a long eight years.
The rest of Daniele Bonera. The defender, who reached the level of the first Italian team in the course of performances for Brescia. Then he went to Parma and spent nine years in Milan, where, for the sake of justice, he left ambiguous impressions, but he won the Scudetto and the Champions League. Now playing for Villarreal.
Antonio and Emanuele Filippini. The root brechians, the support of that team. Each of these twins centerhavov played for Brescia more than two hundred matches. Most of the career consistently followed one another, moving from one club to another.
Matuzalem. This Brazilian we remember well by Shakhtar. Matuzalem was extremely talented. His transfer brought the "miners" to a new level, and the goal "strike the scorpion" at the gates of Seville - one of the most beautiful in the history of Ukrainian football. He came just from Brescia, for which he spent 60 matches and earned the nickname "Il Professore". Mazzone adored players such a plan!.
Dario Hubner. A sample of the regional goalscorer, who does not pretend to be a top-level player, but he's scoring a lot of balls in his province, despite his considerable age. In the championship-2000/01 he distinguished himself 17 times, and then went to Piacenza, where a year later he managed to become the best scorer of Serie A.
Luca Toni. He came to replace Hubner and was revealed in the composition of Brescia. Tony, who spent only second season in Serie A, scored 13 goals in the championship-2001/02. The following year was crumpled due to injury, but another thing is important: Luka is another world champion, to whose upbringing he put his hand Mazzone.
What happened then?.
To my great regret, "L'era post-Baggio" did not bring anything good to the club. Mazzone in 2003, invited to coach Bologna, Baggio a year later completed his career, and without them, Breshia was instantly blown away. In 2005, the "swallows", despite a decent composition (driven by Caracciolo, experienced Almeida and Delvecchio, young Hamshik) flew from Serie A.
Brescia never found a permanent coach, the new Mazzone. Rarely who delayed more than a year. Usually for a season and at all there were two or three mentors, and in the season-2013/14 there were already five. Financial problems began. In 2010, Brescia managed to return to the elite and on the pleasures spent a costly transfer campaign, inviting players such as Zebina, Eder and Diamanti. The output turned out to be a solid negative: it was not possible to gain a foothold in Seria A,. The club arranged a sale and for a long time forgot about ambitions.
In 2014, the leadership was replaced. Luigi Corioni was president of Brescia for 22 years, but the crisis did not leave a choice. UBI Bank, the main sponsor and lender of the club, demanded the resignation of Corioni. Two years ago, on March 8, 2016, the ex-president died at the age of 78 years. Now Brescia is run by none other than Massimo Cellino - the same one from Cagliari. An extremely scandalous character, known for naive superstitions, being under investigation and loving frequent changes of coaches. Nevertheless, it was he who in the 1990's secured Cagliari in the elite division.
Ahead of the Cellino mass of work. Today's Brescia struggles to survive in Serie B. Three seasons earlier, she even flew out, taking the 20 th place, but the "swallows" saved the collapse of Parma, who freed the place in the league. Now Brescia is the 18th, this is the zone of transitional matches.
In the game with Bari, which was able to see, the team looked helpless, losing 0: 3. Even Karachcholo, even the most famous figure in the squad (even though he is 36 years old and still the best scorer of the team). But in the case of the Broshians, the new emblem is perhaps overly modernized, but the results of voting on this topic on the website of the local newspaper are generally approving.
Best of luck to Brescia. It's bad for a club that gave football so many small and big miracles, vegetated in the lower divisions.