And to think that Vincent Candela wasn’t even supposed to be playing on June 17, 2001. Up until a few days previously, he had played every match of the campaign without missing a single one, cementing his status as one of the central figures in the Giallorossi’s march towards Scudetto glory. Yet fate seemed to have stopped him in his tracks when, on May 27, he was sent off in Roma’s 1-1 draw with AC Milan after a coming together with Kakha Kaladze. The suspension ruled him out of the Giallorossi’s next two games, against Napoli and Parma. Down at the Stadio San Paolo it was Eusebio Di Francesco who replaced Candela to make his season debut, but Roma couldn’t get the three points in Naples and were forced to wait another week to be crowned champions… against Parma at the Stadio Olimpico, on the last day of the 2000-01 season.
So what happened next, Vincent? How come Capello could select you?
“The club appealed the suspension and it was accepted. I remember that it was the Friday before the match when the news arrived. There were only 48 hours to go until that incredibly important match. As soon as they told me, I celebrated. But only up to a point…”
Why only up to a point?
“Because we still hadn’t won anything. We had to play a really strong Parma side, with players such as Gigi Buffon, Fabio Cannavaro, Matias Almeyda and Marco Di Vaio. It was going to be anything but a walk in the park.”
What memories do you have of that day?
“Well, I can certainly remember the tension on the team bus before the game. We were very focused and some nothing at all, preferring to stay completely silent. Batistuta, for example, didn’t say a single word until we got to the Olimpico. He was a consummate professional and that showed it. That season I always used to sit at the back, like at school. It was me, Francesco Totti and Vincenzo Montella. On the bus that day we spoke about how we needed to play and what type of attitude we needed to show.”
Thankfully, you went ahead in the 18th minute through Totti. Was it a kind of liberation?
“Absolutely. That goal allowed us to relax much more and was decisive in the 3-1 final scoreline. I set up Francesco from the left-hand side of the box and he fired it into the net. Montella’s movement was also important because it freed up Totti for the shot. It was a perfect move, testament to the understanding between us all in the locker room.”
Yet some of your team-mates have spoken of some disagreements between certain players in the roster.
“We were a family and like all families there were positive moments, when everything was running smoothly, and less positive moments, when there were disagreements. In all families, you get on but there’s always the odd disagreement. That was the way for that Roma side.”
So the group was united?
“Let me tell you a story that’ll show you what the atmosphere was like between us…”
Please do!
“As a big fan of Harley Davidsons I convinced the majority of my team-mates to buy motorbikes, despite the fact that we weren’t allowed to for contractual reasons. When we had a free day, we’d all go to Ostia together on the motorbikes. That sort of thing played a part in us winning the league.”
Enough of the past, what does the future hold for you?
“I’ve got my coaching license and I’m looking around to start this new adventure. I’ll probably start with a team abroad. I’ll play attacking football, drawing inspiration from Pep Guardiola and the many coaches I had throughout my playing career. As well as that, for a few years now I’ve been running a foundation to help children who are unable to play sport. We’ve started talking to Roma Legends to look at projects in partnership with the club. Roma is still a central part of my life.”
Tiziano Riccardi