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Alvaro Recoba: Genial Chino
Having spent a decade at Inter, Alvaro Recoba is keen to get his career back on track with Torino. Dominique Antognoni caught up with the Uruguayan to talk about his enigmatic career
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It’s painful to talk for El Chino – in every sense. He just had an operation on his mouth, so it’s hard for him to speak, and he is not all that keen on talking about his Nerazzurri years and Coach Roberto Mancini. Instead he would choose to dwell on his former President Massimo Moratti – but that didn’t stop him from leaving Inter. Recoba realised that there wasn’t enough space for him in Milan and there won’t be while Mancio sits on the San Siro bench. That’s why he decided to join Torino, where he found Coach Walter Novellino who was in charge at Venezia in the 1998-99 season when Recoba was on loan with the Lagunari. He isn’t a regular with the Granata and he has also been injured, but at least they have faith in him. It’s not a great time for Alvaro, yet that is not how he sees it…
Another injury setback – you have no luck…
I have to admit, I am a little bit unlucky. And it always hits me at the wrong time.
For example?
The Champions League semi-final in 2002-03. Christian Vieri was injured and Hector Cuper thought Obafemi Martins and Mohamed Kallon were too young. Then Hector Cuper asked Hernan Crespo and I to play despite our injuries. Maybe if I had been fit and on form then we would be talking about me being a champion of Europe.
Why did you need to have an operation recently?
In the last few years I have had too many muscular injuries. It was easy to say that I wasn’t training well, but that wasn’t the reason – or, at least, not the only one. I have discovered that my jaw and the way I was eating had something to do with my injuries. Laurent Blanc had the same problem.
What’s Turin like?
It’s a nice city. I have bought an apartment here, but I didn’t sell my house in Como. I go there with my family when I have the time. My daughter Nathalie has started school here, and she is just fine. But Milan and the Nerazzurri environment have no equals.
Was it painful to leave?
Absolutely. I can’t really explain it, but I had no choice.
You haven’t been a regular for years. Maybe if you had been you would have had a successful career by now…
Look, this is easy to figure out. Every new Coach said to Moratti: “Recoba? He is a true great.” I believed it and I was training hard, but then I never played and that’s how the years went past.
You could tell Mancini wasn’t counting on you…
At the beginning of his reign I was a regular, against Basel in Champions League qualifiers.
So what happened next?
Vieri returned. He and Mancini had an ‘agreement’, so he became Adriano’s regular partner. The Coach wasn’t brave enough to go against Bobo and I was the one who had to pay the price – as always.
But why?
I don’t know, you should ask them. One thing is for sure, I have never had an argument with a Coach and I have always been available and respectful. I don’t want to say anything bad about them, and I only want to talk about one – Cuper.
Go ahead…
He was the fairest Coach I have ever had. He always explained why you weren’t playing, clearly and honestly. That’s why I played that damned semi-final – my performance was poor, but I did it for him. The fans booed me and they didn’t know why I was so bad. Then they found out and I became their idol.
With Cuper you played a lot more regularly.
Yes, alongside Vieri. Bobo used to say: “Stay close to me and something will happen.” That’s how we did it. I remember an important clash against Roma at San Siro. They were at the top, but we overtook them after a 3-1 win. I scored twice and that was my best game for Inter.
Marcello Lippi is the other Coach who gave you space.
That is true, but only because Vieri and Ronaldo were injured. So I was playing alongside Roberto Baggio and we led the team to the Champions League.
Apart from the match against Roma, is there any other you look back on fondly?
The clash against Sampdoria on January 6, 2005. They were two goals up with five minutes to go. I’d arrived in the 75th minute we came back to win 3-2, with me scoring the winner. Bobo told me at the end of the game that he had never felt so excited before.
If the Coaches didn’t let you play, in some ways you must have done something wrong too…
I wasn’t able to satisfy them. I was out too many times and they didn’t have faith in me. It wasn’t easy, but then I have to confess that in the last few years I let it go a bit, especially in the last two with Mancini.
Didn’t you have the temptation to go somewhere else to play regularly sooner than last summer?
Every year, but then as I said before, a new Coach was coming and saying that he wanted to gamble on me. With Cuper I was playing, it was only with Mancini that things went wrong.
Will you ever go back?
No, while he is there I won’t. I have nothing against Mancio, but I know he won’t let me play.
Do you think Moratti has ever put pressure on Coaches to let you play?
I don’t know – certainly I have never done it. I know the President would have done something if I asked him, but I didn’t want to. However, he has assured me he will renew my contract until 2009.
How do you think Inter fans will remember you?
When I scored my first goal for Torino, against Palermo, Inter were playing at home and the entire stadium was cheering. That says a lot…
All the Nerazzurri players think you are a great man and footballer. You have left a good image of yourself.
I believe that in these last 10 years I haven’t done anything wrong. I was never part of a clique, while I was always open and loyal to everybody.
Crespo, Julio Cruz, Luis Figo and many others all think you are a ‘fenomeno’. Did any of them try to convince you to give more?
In the last few seasons something was broken inside me. I realised that whatever happened I wasn’t going to play. With Cuper everybody was at the same level, apart from Vieri, who was the greatest at that time. With Mancini it wasn’t the same.
Are you still keeping in touch with some former Inter players?
Matias Almeyda is a close friend of mine. I also regularly hear from Zlatan Ibrahimovic – we were always playing on the PlayStation together – and Marco Materazzi.
Did you have any other offers apart from Torino?
Yes – Roma. After last year’s game, Francesco Totti, Daniele De Rossi and Coach Luciano Spalletti asked me to join the Giallorossi. I agreed, but then they signed Ludovic Giuly. I also had some offers from Qatar, where Gabriel Batistuta played, and one from Napoli, but I didn’t like that option.
Who are your favourite players, past and present?
Ronaldo. Baggio as well, he was amazing. Then Ibra, who is a monster, and the genius Figo. I like Totti and De Rossi too.
What will you do once you hang your boots up?
I would like to teach children how to play football. I have a lot of fun with my son Jeremia, I made him a football pitch at the back of my villa. He has a tremendous shot and plays with both feet. Alternatively, I could be a talent scout for Inter.
Will you stay in Italy?
Yes, definitely. My children speak fluent Italian, plus my wife and I feel at home here. In all honesty, Lorena would like to go back to Uruguay, but I don’t want to.
Last word – do you have a special motto?
Yes. ‘Whoever doesn’t love El Chino doesn’t love football!’
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| Interviewed: January 2008 |
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