Antonello Cuccureddu, the 75-year-old six-time Italian champion with Juventus, now spends his days coaching children on the muddy field that bears his name in Alghero. The former versatile player, who once scored thunderous goals from 30 meters, now finds joy in the simplest tasks of football management, as he explained to La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“I still coach children, and I enjoy it. Sometimes I even draw the lines with chalk. It’s the same field I grew up on, but now I always have to argue,” Cuccureddu says, highlighting the changing attitudes in youth football.
He laments the shift in priorities among young players and their parents: “Do you know what the first thing parents ask? If we have a synthetic field. Nobody wants to get their boots dirty anymore. There are good kids, but the willingness to sacrifice is disappearing.”
Cuccureddu’s journey from Sardinia to Juventus is a tale of determination and unexpected turns. He recalls his time at Brescia, where the move to Juventus was kept secret from him. “In Brescia, the directors would send me to the stands… and laugh. Then I played from the start in a cup match against Juventus. After yet another long face, very sad, they told me the truth.”
As the first Sardinian to play for Juventus, Cuccureddu initially felt overwhelmed. “At first I was afraid, I couldn’t even go to the secretary’s office to sign. Everything seemed so big, too much. On the first day, I showed up with a Fiat 500.”
His time at Juventus left an indelible mark: “As I always say, having played for the Old Lady is like having been a Bersagliere. It stays inside you.”
Cuccureddu’s versatility was legendary, playing in various positions throughout his career. He fondly remembers coach Cestmir Vycpalek: “I used to tell him, ‘For me, you’re a father.’ A man of unique sensitivity who told us about the hell he lived through in Dachau.”
Among his most cherished memories is winning the UEFA Cup in 1976-1977 under Trapattoni. He also recalls the tense atmosphere of playing behind the Iron Curtain and coaching in Tripoli under Gaddafi’s regime.
Now, back in Alghero, Cuccureddu continues to share his passion for football with the next generation, while keeping a close eye on his beloved Juventus. “I watch them every time. It makes me feel young,” he concludes, bridging his glorious past with his present role in nurturing young talent.
