Grosso: ‘World Cup, my career and moment that saved my life’ | OneFootball

Fabio Grosso reveals the various ‘crossroads’ that decided his career and life, from becoming a full-back to a World Cup hero for Italy and the moment that ‘saved my life’ when Lyon’s bus was attacked.

The 47-year-old is currently in Serie B as the coach of Sassuolo, having previously been in charge of clubs like Bari, Verona, Brescia, Frosinone and Olympique Lyonnais.

He will remain forever etched in the history books and the collective memories of Italian football fans for his 2006 World Cup campaign, scoring that stunning goal to break the deadlock in the 2-0 semi-final victory over Germany, then converting the decisive penalty in the Final with France.

However, almost 20 years on, he is tired of talking about it.

“I wouldn’t know what else to say. I am not that penalty, but the path that took me to that spot and the one that I took after it,” Grosso told the Repubblica newspaper.

“The second path is not yet finished.”

Grosso the unexpected hero for Italy

BERLIN – JULY 09: Scorer of the matchwinning penalty, Fabio Grosso (c) of Italy,celebrates with the world cup trophy after the FIFA World Cup Germany 2006 Final match between Italy and France at the Olympic Stadium on July 9, 2006 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Bongarts/Getty Images)

He was at the time really not expected to be the hero for the Azzurri, as he was still playing for minnows Palermo, making his Serie A debut in 2001.

“I was madly in love with football, I was still in Serie C2 at the age of 22, so my biggest dream was to just get an appearance in Serie A. I was asked to come here or there, but I wanted to go my own way, without queue-jumping.

“I generally never wanted gifts, or to rest on my laurels. I don’t like to talk about things, but to do them. I retired so quietly that nobody even realised until six months later.”

Grosso became the marauding left-back who symbolised that triumph for Italy in 2006, which was against all odds. Did he feel a bit of impostor syndrome?

“I asked myself what an amateur was doing there amongst real champions. I was not convinced of my qualities to be there, but I knew how to be there. I never was an impostor, I know I put a lot of effort into my way of being a football player.

“The problem was the general expectations people had. I was not Antonio Cabrini, nor Paolo Rossi, or Toto Schillaci, but everyone expected me to be. This is why I don’t like to talk about my penalty in Berlin. It was a moment, but I lived so much life before and after that moment. Not many people realised it, but never mind.”

Grosso looks back at his life and career as a series of crossroads, thinking about the paths he could’ve taken.

“I was an artist more than a full-back, I always wore the Number 10 jersey, then at Perugia the left-back was suspended and I stepped in. Rather than being sold to Serie C, I became a Serie A regular and a new life began.

“When faced with a crossroads, I almost always chose the right path. I have zero regrets, as I was always myself.”

There was also a moment that could’ve gone very differently in France in 2023, when he was the coach of Olympique Lyonnais and the team bus was pelted with objects by Olympique Marseille hooligans.

Grosso was left with 15 stitches just above his eye when a glass bottle smashed through the window and hit his face, but it could’ve been far worse.

“I had just turned my head to close the curtain on the window and that maybe saved my life, because the bottle would’ve struck me on the temple. Instead, it hit me above the left eye. I got 15 stitches.

“At that moment, I realised what it means to just die on the spot. It was another crossroads. In fact, yesterday they took out another three pieces of glass, because the French doctors had forgotten them in there…

“You can see the scar, it’s not a great patch-up job, but at least I am here to tell the tale,” concluded Grosso.