Gabriel: "Everything at home, family and goals"
Date: Dec 12th, 1999
By: Luca Calamai
Source: Gazzetta dello Sport
Translated by: Mari
Florence --Celebrating her 15th birthday, wearing a beautiful pink dress, Irina Fernandez makes her
society debut. The gala took place in the "Club Sirio-Libanese" at Reconquista. Following the rules
of the special gala, the queen of the night, Irina, would have to dance with everyone of her guests. One
of those guests was a young man by the name of Gabriel Batistuta. With long hair, wearing a suit and a borrowed tie. In his book "Io Batigol racconto Batistuta" "il Re Leone" wrote:
"Irina danced a whole 5 minutes with her other guests while with me it was two minutes at most. She left me in the middle of the dance floor. I was stunned and disillutioned because the feeling of dancing 'in the clouds' was cut short".
Irina listened and smiled.
"The truth is that I had never danced with Gabriel before, I hardly knew him. I invited him because he
was going to be the partner of a friend of mine. He has quite a fame you know. He was the "Don Juan" of the area. It was better that I keep my distance".
The begining was not too promising. But Batistuta never gives up. So Bati, like in the soccer field,
began to work for what he wanted. It took eight months of courting for him to give Irina her first kiss.
Then "il calcio" pushed them apart.
"I didn't know Gabriel wanted to be a professional soccer player. One day he said to me: "Irina, I had
to transfer to Rosario". I'm not a soccer fan. I had other plans. I always thought I will marry a lawyer
or a doctor. I wanted to study and get my degree. So we went our separate ways".
A twist of fate brought them together.
"I went to a college in Rosario to take a course I needed for my degree in helping children with speech
dissabilities, down-syndrome or children that stutter. My parents found a boarding house that seemed more strict than a convent. Not even my father or brother could come in. In other words no men allowed. I met Gabriel at a party. He asked me if I would go see his team's next match. He told me: "I will leave two tickets for you at the entrance". My friend and I arrived on time for the match, but the tickets were not there. The guard-man at the entrance took pity on us and let us in for free. I was not going to spend a dime for a soccer match. Gabriel didn't score that day".
Since then they've been together.
All the sweetness and happiness of those moments were there for us to see reflected on Irina's visage while lost in her memories.
"A few months later Gabriel arrived at the house unexpectadly. He was very excited. He told me:
"Irina we're going to Italy, to Florence". He was so happy. Then he added: "Don't take a lot of things with you, just the essentials".He knew that even though he has in his hands the tickets for the trip from Buenos Aires to Rome, it didn't mean that the 'battle' was won. His road toward achieving his goals were just starting".
Irina sacrificed some of her deams while helping Gabriel become a champion. When asked about this she said:
"I've never had any regrets, if there were to be a choice I'd do the same thing over again".
"My feelings about soccer? If I had to pick between a Fiorentina match and spending an afternoon playing with the kids, most of the time I picked staying with the boys. I only go to the stadium when they are playing the more important matches. Like Fiorentina-Juve or Fiorentina-Milan".
During those Sundays when she goes to the stadium, she's all dressed up like any "tifosa", but she only
has eyes for her Gabriel.
Thiago is Irina and Gabriel's oldest son, followed by Lucas and Joaquin.
"Gabriel wants a little girl. He even has had her name picked for many, many years. Selene, which means moon in Greek. At this moment I'm not ready for another pregnancy, three boy's seems quite a lot at these time. But later on I would like to have Gabriel's little girl. Maybe science will come out with something that will guarantee the birth of a baby girl or maybe in five or six years we will adopt a little girl. This last option has been in our mind for some time now. Gabriel and I have discussed this several times. There's so many abandoned children all over the world".
"Mama Gloria, Gabriel's mother, when Gabriel was becoming to be known as 'Batigol', for good luck she would lock herself up in the bathroom so she wouldn't hear nor see the match".
This ritual seems to have helped young Gabriel become "il RE Leone Viola". What about Irina, the wife. What do you enjoy the most in a match?
We are arriving at Channel 10 T.V. studios, were Mrs. Batistuta has a T.V. program part of Cecchi Gori Productions. In this weekly program she will interview someone from the world of sports, entertaiment or culture. This segment is part of the T.V. program named "Stadium".
"I would love to interview Leonardo Pieraccioni. I know I'll enjoy it very much. As much as when I
interviewed Panariello. That was not work, that was fun".
Irina is working on a new project linked with dance and music. Her true passion.
"My favorite dancers are Cortes and Julio Boca. Gabriel told you he is not a good dancer? That's not
true. That is something he has said just to avoid being draged to dance clubs. He doesn't like to be the
center of attention. He surely knows how to dance. But let me tell you although he is a good dancer he's a better singer. He knows all of Phil Collins and Sting's music by heart, and he loves to sing Jose Luis Perales songs. I on the other hand, listen to music depending on my moods".
"I already have in mind Gabriel's gift, I cannot tell you what it is, it's a secret".
Maybe "Il Re Leone" also has Irina's gift ready to be set under their tree.
"Gifts are not that important to Gabriel, a word, a kiss, a hug, any sign of affection, that's what's
really importat to him. Besides he doesn't like shopping. This brings to mind the time when he gave
me a ring, my old one was stolen. I can imagine all the trouble he went through, shopping for the ring, finding the right size, and all this without me knowing it".
"I truly realized I was marrying a soccer player the moment we were getting married. For us to be able to have a wedding trip we had to wait until the 28 of December when the soccer championship stopped. What do I remember of that important 'YES'? Gabriel's tired, sleepy face, I on the other hand, had not been able to sleep, I was so excited. But not once did I cry".
"When I'm there at the stadium I suffered every time I hear any criticism thrown at my husband. But I have to say that the "calcio" expert at home is Thiago, my oldest son. He loves soccer and I could say by looking at his records, he's good at it. But the life of a soccer player is not always a 'fairy-tale'. It's
very hard to get to the top. Gabriel is right for not wanting Thiago to attend a soccer school. The name
Batistuta would be a very weightfull thing. The comparisons would be unavoidable. We want him to enjoy his childhood, do other sports. Right now he enjoys playing tennis very much. If I could select a sport for him to be a champion in I would select tennis".
"For me the most exciting moment is that of taking a penalty kick. For good luck I do not look at the
ball, I look at the "tifosi". If I see them jump and scream that means everything has gone all right. So I
start breathing normaly again. Of all the goals scored by my husband there's one that will allways
have a special place in my heart. It was the goal scored against Milan in the "Super Copa Italiana"
where Gabriel shouted "Irina Te Amo" in front of the microphones of the T.V. cameras. Those three words being said the way they did created in me feelings I'll never forget. Our story is a beautiful one
and....yes, we have had our problems like everyone else. Ours is a real marriage not a soap-opera. I've always believed in the saying: 'One reaps what one sows'. We, Gabriel and I, keep our love shining bright and true".
The Batistuta family will be leaving for Reconquista the night of the Fiorentina-Juventus match. They will spend the Christmas Holidays with their families in Argentina.