Goodbye Rome, Karibu Malindi!
The unforgettable centre forward of the A.S. Roma (and Genoa, where he was born and grew up not only in football) Roberto Pruzzo is in Kenya thanks to his ten-year friendship with the owner of the Olimpia Club Pasquale Pes, who was one of the Counts and Falcao's most important advisors of the Scudetto of Rome, Baron Liedholm, but above all President Dino Viola.
"Maybe that's also why I felt at home right away - Pruzzo told malindikenya.net - here it feels like home, in Rome and not only for the excellent specialties of Olimpia. There are many Italians and you can see that they have integrated very well in this country".
O'Rey di Crocefieschi, as he was renamed in the late 1970s at the time of the Grifone, is on holiday with his friend Antonio Di Carlo, another former Roma player.
"My daughter has been between Malindi and Watamu several times and she had already told me about the beauty of these places and as soon as I was able to see for myself - explains the former striker who was top scorer of the Serie A championship for three years - I knew about Africa but what I didn't expect was this pleasant Italianness".
Pruzzo's only disappointment was with the Kenyan football movement.
"There is little to do, the problem of football in this country already starts from the physicality of the athletes - explains O'Rey, who after hanging up his shoes he was coach and sports director - the Kenyans are sharp and have slender legs, high centers of gravity. They are suitable for running, in fact it's no coincidence that they excel in marathon and middle distance running. But I haven't seen any great football talents around here. Maybe there are some in the north, on Lake Victoria, who can emulate the deeds of Mariga, who won the "triplet" with Mourinho's Inter or Wanyama who plays in the Premier League, but the African countries voted for football are others, for years: those of West Africa. There are far too many good ones there".
He would talk about football for hours and hours, Roberto Pruzzo, who during his career passed for someone reserved and few words, both on and off the pitch. A bit like his friend Pasquale, who as a dolphin and confidant of President Viola was nicknamed "Er Muto".
"I remember it well - admits Pruzzo - we shared so many joys and memories together, it's nice to be able to chat about it here, in this fantastic place in the shade of a palm tree".