The first to be moved is Massimo Cellino. The president, who was at the helm of Cagliari for twenty years, told Corriere dello Sport how he discovered Fabian O'Neill and when he decided to bring him to the rossoblù: «A phenomenon. The most talented one I've ever had. He used both feet interchangeably. His right leg, which was three centimeters shorter, was badly treated and he learned to kick with his left foot. He had incredible strength, with his head, from set pieces, today he would play as a starter for PSG without a doubt. I saw him in a friendly match in Punta del Este, I was with Paco Casal at a Nacional match during the Christmas holidays. He left me impressed and I wanted to take him to Cagliari. Trapattoni was there as a coach».
He also tells the newspaper directed by Ivan Zazzaroni about when he became aware of the Magician's alcohol problems: « He came to my office because he had been in an accident with his car. I asked him "what the f.... were you doing around 4 in the morning?" and he replied "President, I met someone who told me we would be relegated, I was offended, I ran after him and unfortunately I rear-ended his moped". But it wasn't like that. It was evident that he had drunk a lot. Then there was the move to Juventus? He told me that he didn't want to leave Cagliari, but that it would have been better because there were too many people who protected him in the city. And then I made him go to Juve, which however was unable to sell Zidane and left him on loan for another year. But it was never the same again."
In conclusion, an anecdote: «He is the only player, perhaps one of the few, who has given me a gift: a table clock that I still keep. One day they stole the car from the Cagliari warehouse keeper, he went to buy another one and gave it to them. Now he died in poverty."
(Unioneonline/Lopi)
