Viola's pain

Once upon a time there was a boy from Reconquista who decided to rebel against a life that was already set for him to become an electrotechnical technician. The boy turned himself into a football player. All fairy tales begin with a 'Once upon a time…'. And this time Prince charming is Gabriel Batistuta. He is worth, more or less, 80 billions lire and everybody likes him. Because of his rebel appearance, because of his refined look that conquered some fashion designers, because of the power he gives off when he rushes on the ball and scores.

He is liked because he was not born a champion. But he became one. Day after day. Showing a way that can be taken by almost everybody. In his nicknames there is the history of his career: at first 'El Gordo' (bacause of his extra weight) and 'El Camion (because of his kicks all muscle and no class); and now Batman, Terminator, Lion King. A hero able to inflame the imagination.

Batigol arrived in Florence on the 18th August 1991, after he had won the title of top scorer in the American Cup. He came with Irina, the woman of his life, and two suitcases. Italy was a dream. Before leaving he expained to his parents: "It's better to bring only a few things because dreams are dreams and in life you always have to be prepared to sudden re-awakenings". It's quick to pack and unpack two suitcases.

His purchase has a note of fiction. Viola's managers had sent a tape to Vittorio Cecchi Gori, who was busy in Los Angeles because of his movie business, showing the deed of Diego Latorre, an Argentine talent chosen to replace Roby Baggio in the hearts of Viola's supporters. Dieguito was not bad, on the contrary, he served many assists. The problem was that, then, all those balls were shot into the net by a big boy with long blond hair. The result was that Cecchi Gori, after watching the tape three times, phoned to Florence and ordered to "drop the number 10 and buy the No. 9". The same 9 who had just been rejected by a man of Juventus. The reason? "He's good but he does't have the right feet for the Italian soccer".

The label of being 'the darling of the boss' didn't help Bati to get into the team. Two Brazilian were in command: Lazaroni, the coach, and Dunga, the captain. Gabriel was isolated. Boycotted. Most of the players hardly talked to him. But he didn't give up. He fought. And he won his battle on January 26, 1992. It was the Sunday of Fiorentina-Juventus .

"There was the same atmosphere of the challenges between Boca and River," Bati often remembers. After 8 minutes the Lion King mocked Juventus' goalkeeper with a perfect head shot. The 'Franchi' stadium became a powder-magazine. A new idol was born. In the changing room Bati dedicated that gol to little Thiago who was born a month before. Now he has three children (Thiago, Lucas and Joaquin), all boys. All born in Florence. And it is not the end. Mrs Irina knows that sooner or later, they'll try again. Gabriel would like to have a daughter. He has already chosen her name: Selene.

What Batistuta represented for Fiorentina is written in the 'numbers'. He gave to the city a Coppa Italia bending the knees of Pagliuca's Inter and Mondonico's Atalanta. He raised the Italian League's Supercoppa cheating, at the last minute, Sebastiano Rossi and Milan with a penalty kick which became a legend because of the shout 'Irina te amo'.

It was him that, breaking all the records kept by that wonderful striker called Kurt Hamrin, forced all Fiorentina's biographers to rewrite the last pages. And it was him again that with his exploits enabled Fiorentina on a European level . Just remember the 'hush everybody' gesture at the Nou Camp of Barcelona or that wonderful kick on the run against Arsenal which turned off the lights of Wimbledon, the temple of soccer.

Goals. Loads of them. Beautiful. Explosive. Cheered by many rites: the run to the corner flag, the finger on the nose to silence, the talked about gesture of the machine gun and the much sweeter one miming someone playing a guitar mad of joy.

What Batistuta represents for Florence in these days is written on the walls, on the stadium's gates, on the panels placed in front of Fiorentina's seat and even in front of the Uffizi's entrance. Letters of love, broken hearts, painful sentences. Gabriel was a member of the family. A son, a brother, a friend. Is there another town that had the fantasy to give to a soccer champion first a statue (which is still in the warehouse of the stadium, under the Curva Fiesole) and then even a star that shines and will always shine over Argentina's skies? And it's not all. "Batistuta is like the David" the supporters have been singing for years and then they worked many hours on the computer to create an almost perfect photo ending of the champion's face over the body of Michelangelo's David.

"Batistuta is a part of Florence like the Ponte Vecchio" Fiorentina's supporters say and they send hundreds of postcards to Vittorio Cecchi Gori daily. The postacards have the photo of Bati's face placed on Ponte Vecchio and there is the following inscripion: "These jewels are not for sale because they are part of the city".

Viola's supporters gave to Batistuta 10 golden balls of various size and value, with various dedications. It was an attempt to compensate Batigol who, even though his enormous amount of scorings, has never been able to raise the prestigious trophy. But he peacefully accepted the rules of the game. He would have already won it if he had worn Milan's shirt. He would have had a collection of Golden Balls if he had worn Manchester United's shirt. But he chose a different path. "One day I would love to win the Scudetto, because a championship won with Fiorentina is worth 10 championships won with Juventus or Milan," the Argentinian champion has always said. Florence loves him also for this, because for nine years Bati has accepted to challenge himself with an impossible task. Challenging history, potentates and common sense. The love of a town is worth more than a kilo of gold.

Now Batistuta has much more than two suitcases and a small rented apartment. He has a villa in Fiesole, one of the most beautiful places in the world, and mountains of precious objects. "When I think about my future, I see a family reunited in Reconquista with my children running among cows and horses, Irina teaching at her own dance school and I see myself finally going hunting and fishing every day…".

This is what the Lion King wrote in a biographic book titled "Batigol narrates Batistuta" (Io Batigol racconto Batistuta). But now the project has changed, Florence is going to stay in his life, the same as Reconquista. Almost on the same level of Reconquista. At the end of his career Bati and Irina will live between Italy and Argentina. And Fiorentina is still worth a bet. After all a Scudetto can be won also by being a manager of a team.