Golden Soft Sombrero Moment with Vince Grella

Some Golden Soft Sombrero Moments with Vince Grella

Grella on Zidane and his debut…

Diegos: " Your first hit for Italian club, Empoli was against the mighty Juventus in front of 45,000 people at the Stadio Del Alpi, and you marked none other than, France’s World Cup hero, Zinedine Zidane. We just want to know, did you welcome him with a good old fashion Springvale City tackle from behind and say ‘Hi, I’m Vinnie Grella from Australia, who are you?’.”

Grella : “No none of that. To tell you the truth, I didn't get near him. He was that quick and nibble. It was as though he was born on another planet. He was just a freak. It was a weird experience because initially I wasn't expecting to play. One of our midfielders got dropped from the team because of disciplinary reasons and l subsequently came on to the bench. Then during the game one of our midfielders went up for a header with Deshamps from Juventus, and dislocated his jaw, so l came straight on and just did my job. It happened so quick that l didn't even stop to think that l was about to play against Juventus and Zindane. We went on to get a 0-0 draw, which was a big result for us. I was ecstatic after the game as you could imagine."

Soft Sombrero Moment 1999

Grella on playing in Italy’s Serie A…

Diegos: “Young Aussie kids dream of going from straight from Aussie soccer to Italy’s Serie A. From your relatively short experience over there, can you tell us whether it's all glamour and riches?”

Grella: “ From my personal experience so far, I've been very lucky. Empoli is a small town and people have treated me very well but my challenge here is not an easy one to overcome. You're playing with some extremely good players and at present, I'm finding it difficult to even get on the bench. I'm finding it very hard to establish myself. I did have a little luck and got some game time, but generally it has not been easy making an impression."

Soft Sombrero Moment 1999

Grella on Italian girls and the Tuscan nightlife…

Diegos: " Now for some cultural questions. How is the 'Ciao Bella, I'm Vinnie Grella' line working with the young Italian girls and how are you fitting in with the Italian lifestyle?"

Grella: " I've haven't summoned up enough courage to use the 'Four Diegos' pick up line yet. The Italian lifestyle, on the other hand, is phenomenal. It's superb, especially if you’re a footballer. The players in Empoli are very well known and so they tend to become big fish in a small pond."

Diegos: " Does the club place constraints on the players regarding their nocturnal activities, espresso bar hopping, pasta consumption etc?"

Grella: " No they don't put to many constraints on what we do. As part of our preparation, they perform a lot of weekly physical tests including blood tests and skin folds on the players.

If you're not up to scratch, you either don't play or they take other disciplinary action against you. Players are generally free to do as they please and eat whatever they want.

The Italian lifestyle is very laid back. The club doesn't mind you drinking a couple of glasses of wine and tucking into deserts and cakes whereas in Australia, they tend to put you off those foods because of their fat content. The training here is very hard and you seem to burn a lot of it off."

Soft Sombrero Moment 1999

Grella on the comparison between Australian and Italian players and training…

Diegos: “ Our Olyroo team, of which you are an integral part, is showcasing some of the best young talent in the world at present.

How do you think our best young players like Simon Colosimo, Brett Emerton etc compare with the players in Serie A – technically, and in the areas of fitness and mental toughness?”

Grella : “ Its very hard to say in general. I can only really speak for myself. Technically, the players in Italy are better because they play under pressure a lot more than we do.

Every game is a big game. We went to Bari last weekend for example. To many, that is not a glamorous fixture but to us, it’s a huge game. Mental toughness is bred into the Italians from a young age because there are so many people playing and you've got to possess that bit of an edge to beat the guy next to you otherwise you won't get a game or a contract.

Soccer over here is a financially lucrative lifestyle.  Everything is paid for, so you can imagine how competitive the whole scene is."

Diegos: “ The Empoli training pitch in the middle of winter is a far cry from Princes Park on a beautiful summer’s day.

What’s training been like, and how does it compare with the training you’re used to at the AIS and Carlton?”

Grella : “ In the last couple of weeks we have experienced some of the coldest weather on record here in Empoli.

In temperatures this low our pitch gets iced over, so we are forced to move to the club's indoor pitch that is made out of compacted dirt. Its much too dangerous to play on the outside training pitches when they're iced up but as far as the cold is concerned, I'm getting more and more used to it. "

Diegos: " Is it as dangerous as the fast bowler's paradise cricket pitch at Optus Oval?"

Grella: " That's exactly what it is like. One thing is for certain, Warney would never get a game - it would never take spin."

Soft Sombrero Moment 1999

Grella advice to young Aussies…

Diegos: “ If you keep doing well over in Italy, the Diegos are certain that its only a matter of time before all the kiddies in Australia will be bleaching their hair blond and wearing Vinnie Grella Empoli shirts.

Have you got some advice for the Aussie kids who are dreaming of playing in Italy?”

Grella : “ That's a tough question. I consider myself still to be a young Aussie kid. But to all the young kids, I say, believe in yourself. You'll get a lot of people who won't show faith in you.

There will be people who will knock you but as long as you believe in yourself and believe in your own ability, who knows your destiny. I had people who said I would be wasting my time in Italy and bet that l would be back after 7 days, but 3 weeks later l was playing against Zindane. Who knows what's in prospect for anyone in life?"

Soft Sombrero Moment 1999