As Alberto Gilardino prepares to welcome Reggiana to the Stadio Luigi Ferraris in the Coppa Italia Second Round, ex-Azzurri teammate Alessandro Nesta is excited about the prospect of qualifying through, since it will pitch his side against his former club Lazio in the last 16.
Nesta, in his pre-match presser, vouched he would treat everyone to dinner if Reggiana made it past Genoa.
“If they even let me sit at the Olimpico, I’ll treat everyone to dinner! It’s a personal thing, but I care, and the message that must get across is that we’ll do everything we can to try. But without underestimating Lecco, we must not arrive at that match exhausted.” (via Tuttomercatoweb)
The 2006 World Cup winner then dished about Rossoblù coach Gilardino.
“Gila is a great friend, I shared the Champions League and World Cup with him. I have always had an excellent relationship with him. It always makes me a little strange to see two players who find themselves in bench to do another job, I’m very curious how it’ll turn out.”
Nesta faced some of the greatest forwards during his extensive playing career and had his say on Lionel Messi’s place amongst them after the Argentine’s eighth Ballon d’Or victory.
“When they ask me the best player I played against, I never say Messi, because I played against Ronaldo, the Phenomenon, and I always say him. However, they go weighing his career, the length of time at that level probably makes Messi the best player in history. They had to give him the eighth Ballon d’Or.”
Reggiana beat Monza in the previous round and will hope to inflict a similar defeat on Genoa in the second round. However, Il Grifone will enter the game with confidence having never been beaten at this stage since 2007, when they lost to Ascoli.
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