Grosso: My scream in 2006? It's a work of art. I have confidence against Napoli

"Tardelli's scream is above everything else, it's a work of art of sublime beauty, and I told him so when I met him." 

Yet Fabio Grosso is also famous for a liberating scream, or rather two, at the 2006 World Cup: "Maybe even three, there's a more hidden one against Australia," he recalled to Il Giornale, "when Neill brought me down in the penalty area in the last minute."

With fond memories, Grosso is now coaching Sassuolo, who are preparing to compete in Serie A: "After being promoted as favorites, which was far from a given. But it's the right step. Today, I ask my players what the owners and management ask of me: to keep dreaming." The debut will be an uphill battle against Napoli, the Italian champions: "They're strong, but we know our quality."

In recent days, as part of his training camp tour, another 2006 hero, Gennaro Gattuso, stopped by to visit Sassuolo: "He's a great man and a friend," Grosso said. "I'm sure he'll give it his all. It's important to start over and get back to being what we've always been." The two are part of Lippi's "school," which has produced several coaches among the players of that national team: "I've had my disappointments and my satisfactions. Everything is the result of hard work, and also of more or less happy situations."