Gabriel has now spent three seasons with Fiorentina, a kind of silly club in the beautiful Florence. Fiorentina is owned by the Gecchi Goris, filthy rich film producers of spaghetti westerns. Father Gecchi Gori has deceased, so son Vittorio now leads the club on his own. In a tumultous way. In 1992, a year after Batistuta had arrived, the Gecchi Gori clan made a grab at the power of Milan, Berlusconi's in particular. Cinema against television.

From Bayern Munich two top players were taken away: Brian Laudrup and Stefan Effenberg. But despite this reinforcement Fiorentian relegated... At winter break the club was still at second position, but they lost track, also since Vittorio Gecchi Gori changed trainers as often as he changed his shirts. No less than four trainers passed that single year: it seemed like a soap opera and perhaps that was what boss Vittorio intentionally wanted it to be like. After the painful outcome of the season he organized a hearing and had billboars put up all over Florence stating the question "Is it all Vittorio's fault?" The new foreigners wanted to leave. Laudrup left to AC Milan, Effenberg had to stay againgst his will. Batistuta also wasn't allowed to leave, even though particularly Real Madrid and Ajax insisted.

The Argentine had no objection to staying with the turbulent club. "When you leave Argentina to play soccer in Europe, you mainly look for some security. I signed a contract for four seasons. I intend to serve that contract, even if that means I have to play in the Serie B for one season."

Fiorentina is an old club, full of traditions and history, just like Florence itself. Despite the relegation they surprisingly take the fifth place in the popularity poll, behind the Milanese clubs, Juventus and Naples, but ahead of Parma and Sampdoria. The old structures persisted: Fiorentina is one of the rare clubs wher two supporters are seated in the club committee. They must be nice informants to the general public and the press, 'cause every information leaks out.

Let's however first go back to Argentina, to where it all began for Batistuta. "In my childhood I never played soccer with a club, so I missed a certain basic soccer education. When I was eighteen I wanted to study to become a doctor, but just on the day of my birthday, a friend of mine took me for a test with Newell's Old Boys, the Maradona recently played for. It definitely became a turning point in my life. I got to sign a contract immediately and in no time I was put on their first team. After hardly ten matches River Plate, one of the two top clubs, bought me away from there. With River Plate I scored ten goals in the first season half. Due to a change of trainer, I only stayed there for barely six months. Archenemies Boca Juniors then offered themselves immediately. I transferred to them and directly gathered the title. At that time the team was full of young talents. In the end I lost count of the number of goals I scored for Boca."

"Everything changed so rapidly it surprised me. The national team awaited. From the vice world champions of 1990 they only wanted to keep Caniggia, Ruggieri and Goicoechea. Trainer Bilardo also made room." Carlos Bilardo headed for Seville in 1992, though just after the last World Cup Finals he had announced that he was fed up with soccer and that he wanted to go back to Buenos Aires to be a pediatrician again. Alfio Basile, the new national coach, immediately believed in Batistuta. "The team that lost the finals in Italy '90 gradually became older. In view of the next World Cup Basile chose to directly build up a new core, though he could have easily went on with the existing core of players for two more years."

Basile - Bilardo. In the alphabet it doesn't make much of a difference, but on tactics it meant a sudden change of style for Argentina. "Bilardo had chosen for years to play definsive soccer, based on a strictly tactical approach. Basile wanted to bring back the joy of soccer again. Under his leadership we managed to play a series of thirty-three international matches without defeat, which is a world record. Our series of succes was brutally stopped by Colombia, wo beat us with no less than 0-5 in Argentina. That match went totally wrong from the start. We had to win, got behind very fast and lost every control of the match. If you ever played soccer yourself, you know you can experience such nights."

The long series remains in our minds, but even Batistuta can't say for sure that Argentina built up a superb team again. "The last few qualification matches we played bad. The team remained the same, so it was a mystery why we failed. A possible explanation could be that during the past few months it was hardly ever possible to get the core of the Argentine team together. We've spread out all over the world. Redondo in Spain, Rodriguez in Germany, I myself in Italy, just to mention some. We're everywhere."

The disadvantage of the players losing each other out of sight can be overcome according to Gabriel. "During the last three months before the World Cup finals we have planned plenty of training practices and practice matches to completely be there again as a team".

Doesn't that team need Maradona? The fact that Newell's Old Boys recently fired him shouldn't have to be a problem. In 1978 Argentina became world champions in their own country with an unemployed Tarantini on the team. "We remained undefeated for thirty-three matches without him. So... We played two decisive qualification matches with him versus Australia. Only when he's fit we attach importance to him being there."

But when is Maradona fit? With him you never know. He will always be someone to worry about, for his coaches as well as for his teammates. "I know, there will always be a lot of indistinctness created around him. Even the Argentine soccer fans are divided on that matter. If they were allowed to vote against or in favor of Maradona, the outcome would perhaps be fifty-fifty. If he doesn't play, his position will be taken by Rodriguez, who, by the way, is an excellent player. We talked it over yet. Within the team we also feel strong without him. If he comes, he is an advantage to the team, because he remains a great one. He must get to at least sixty percent of his abilities, though. Otherwise we don't want him. There is no discussion about that."

Diego Armando Maradona and Claudio Caniggia, at present with AS Roma, both were suspended for a long period of time because they were involved in a drug affair. Batistuta has his objections to the FIFA punishment. "I won't give my opinion on drug use, but I do think the sentence was out of proportion. Six to eight months would have been a period I could have comprehended, but non-activity for a period of one-and-a-half years has never been inflicted before."

Gabriel, like the two mentioned before, tastes the atmosphere of Italian soccer. Did any other clubs besides Fiorentina try to get him? "First Verona and Atalanta Bergamo showed their interest, but after the Copa America 1991, where I became the top scorer, Boca Juniors wanted considerably more money. Only Fiorentina was able or wanted to afford that. I didn't know anything about European soccer. The only knowledge I had was that Italy had the most important competition."

Batistuta went to Europe for money and for a bit of happiness. To take the step from Reconquista, in northern Argentina, to Florence it takes more than a pair of seven-league boots. "My family didn't understand it at all. They didn't know a thing about soccer, either. Nevertheless they were happy when I left, because they saw a good future in it for me. "You can go, it's your own choice, but we won't be able to help you", my father said."

"When I emigrated from Argentina, I had left my parents more than two years before. Because the distance from Boca Juniors in Buenos Aires to Reconquista is over eight hundred kilometers. Ah well, in the meantime I got married and became a father. You emphasize on other things then."

He left the tough Argentine soccer behind him. "You don't have to count on much respect there. They don't care about kicking you off the field. Many players that are techically talented try to keep the ball. The defenders can come in really hard. You could suggest to combine faster, to avoid these attacks. But that's not really in our style of playing. In South America possession of the ball is sacred, it's in their nature."

Despite that unpleasant experience Argentina means everything to him. "I feel happy, now that I can come home during the preparation for the World Championship. Hopefully my country will socially progress, as later I will return there in any case."

As a professional soccer player he does not get the ultimate thrill in Italy. But he does when he can play for his national team. For his native flag and country. "A fantastic experience. The whole country, with its thirty million people, is proud of the team. Knowing that everyone loves the players and looks up to them gives you an indescribable feeling of warmth. You're so proud to be part of that you would even play for free. I think any player, no matter to which national selection in the world he belongs to, know that feeling.

Gabriel Batistuta sometimes talks with melancholy about his country far away. Are there so few resemblances with Europe? "Europe? Everyone here is busy with oneself. There's little communication, there's no such thing as a feeling of solidarity. When I was still home in Reconquista the whole street sympathized with one another. You knew everyone, the people came outside to talk. It was an open community. I don't see that happening here. The human relations are cold. I can see that within the club as well. Fiorentina is no exception to the rule, it goes like that within all clubs.

I sometimes try to explain that: as a soccer player you don't get a lot of credit. After two inferior performances it can be possible you fall out of a team and won't have a chance for weeks. Every player has his role in the team. The one who ambitions your place is your biggest enemy. You know he's waiting for your first lapse. That situation leads to cold manners."

"You guys can hardly believe that, but in Argentina all players get on with each other like friends. Yes, you could even deal with the one who was on your position. Every day the players would stick around, drink something. That's how you create team spirit. Incomparable to Europe. When we seclude ourselves here for a training practice, the players will be seated at the table to eat for at most ten minutes, to then directly leave to their rooms. They won't even talk to each other for five minutes. That really annoys me. But you can notice the difference: Argentina has a real team of friends, every oned of us takes part for one another. I think that will affect our perfomances. We form a difficult force to play on." Whether that force is powerful enough to grab the world title, seems no issue to Batistuta. "I haven't had a vacation in three years. That's been a sacrifice mostly for my family. You don't think I put in all the effort to perform nothing in the US? If you ask me who are going to be the next world champions, I'll tell you: we are."

Gabriel wants to follow in the footsteps of his childhood idol Mario Kempes. "1978 was the first World Cup tournament I saw on television as a little boy. And we won." If it ever happens again, everyone will go nuts. "Undoubtedly. But the biggest nut I have ever met is on the loose right her in Florence: Stefan Effenberg. You can't hold possible all that he's up with."

What do you tell the people in Reconquista about the rich life in Florence? "Not much. Batistuta is the soccer player in Europe. In Reconquista I stayed Gabriel, who loves hunting and fishing. In Italy you can't do that. There's nothing to hunt at. Poca roba."

(In addition to the interview with Bati, an interview with Brian Laudrup on Gabriel Batistuta, also from 1994)

Brian Laudrup On Gabriel Batistuta

"I don't think Gabriel fits the profile of a typical Latin American soccer player. Perhaps because he started club soccer so late, I don't consider him very skilful technically. He has other qualities, which made him to such a valued striker in Europe. Batistuta is one block of strength that can not easily be taken off the ball. In Italy he is pulled at his shirt very often, but with his robust build he remains standing. He shoots fast and spontaneously, both left and right, as well as from a standstill. Because of his power he creates opportunities for himself to score. You might have the tendency to underestimate him, since he's not that skilful. That often showed during practices, in games of four versus two. He reminds me of Salinas of Barcelona. As a personality I find him remarkably calm. As a top scorer he has a strong position towards teammates and press, but with him it isn't expressed in nasty celebrity-like manners. For instance, I have never seen him getting angry. Becaus of the inner calmness he expresses, I don't see a true South American in him. You'd expect more paricularly emotional types from that continent. I had an excellent relation with him. We got to endure a lot as foreigners with Fiorentina. Gabriel sympathized with my difficulties as a newcomer in the calcio.

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