Gabriele Cioffi

Posted on 2007/06/13 16:34:39 (June 2007).

[Wednesday 13th June]

Life is weird and during one of the strangest days so far in recent months I stumble upon a site that I should have really checked out before... Or maybe not.

It's hot today, it's a Wednesday, 13th, I have a lot of menial tasks to perform at home, working on excel lists all day.
I had yet another "sort" of argument with my present girlfriend, this time related about the idea of living together, and my mind falls on a person that I left long ago when I was in the last year of high school.

Gabriele has never been my best buddy, he was just another one of the friends that I had in the class of section B at the Scientific Lyceum A. Gramsci.

Like many others in the class he used to play football, probably he was one of the most talented individual in our class. Football in italy is a serious thing, I can hardly remember Gabriele being a great student, but he had a lot of passion and perseverance for what he really liked, playing as a defender on a football pitch.

And so it was that he managed to get through the A levels, and after that we completely lost touch, one of those people that you remember looking at the old class pictures (with mandatory professors looking bemused on the right hand side of the photo).

Well it was in September that I browse happily through the pages of the major Italian sport newspaper "La Gazetta dello Sport", and I remember hearing from common friends that he managed to make the grade and become a professional in the lower series in Italy.
Destiny of many good football players, who are not so lucky or skilful to make the grade to Serie A (the Italian Premiership).

Anyway, I was reading the newspaper and what do I see? Gabriele Cioffi, is playing for one of the most important teams in Italy TORINO CALCIO (in Turin)!!
You can't imagine my surprise, even if he wasn't my best buddy I feel extremely happy for him, it must have been a great emotion to be able to be signed by such an illustrious club. I have tried to see him playing on TV, but it seems that between injuries and bad matches he didn't really play a lot.

I went to see his page on the net, there I could catch up with his story so far, quite interesting at some points, very unlucky at others. I hope that he manages to stay in Serie A for a couple more years, then probably he will retire and become some sort of coach or something... I wish him luck he deserved it!

I don't know why this is worth a blog on its own, but it was something different from the usual woes that I am experiencing during these days...

Great to read, Lox! It's always nice when someone you know makes the grade! :)

Posted by Nigel at 2007/06/13 20:32:31.

Yes I can imagine it is great to hear that someone you knew as a kid has become famous!

...I don't think anything became of anyone from my school.

Posted by John at 2007/06/13 21:32:01.

Nigel: It is quite great, although as I wrote we weren't real "friends", nevertheless is nice!

John: Well you become a very important software engineer....

Posted by Lox at 2007/06/13 22:54:46.

Thanks Lox! Yes I suppose the good thing about coming from a school of nobodies is that by comparison I feel quite significant!

Posted by John at 2007/06/13 23:15:14.

Post a comment