8 Jun 1997: Portrait of Italian goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca during a Tournoi de France match against Brazil in Lyon, France. The match ended in a 3-3 draw. Mandatory Credit: Shaun Botterill/Allsport
Former Italy, Sampdoria, Inter and Bologna goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca has revealed when and why he began supporting Premier League side Aston Villa, and has given an explanation behind his Villa-themed tattoo on his right arm.
Why does Pagliuca support Aston Villa?
The 58-year-old, who represented Italy at three World Cups, including semi-final and final appearances in 1990 and 1994, hails from Bologna and has a deep affection for the Rossoblu, but also supports another team in the same colours in Aston Villa.
In an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport ahead of the meeting of those two teams in the Europa League on Wednesday evening, Pagliuca revealed that his support for Aston Villa began at the beginning of the 1980s when he was still a teenager.
“I discovered the Aston Villa charm in 1981: The shirts, those colours, English football, the race with Ipswich that led them to the English first division title,” Pagliuca told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“In Bologna, on some TVs there were clips of English football, the games, goals, the thrilling atmosphere,” he continued.
“Within two years, that Aston Villa team also won the European Cup against Bayern in 1982. After Bologna, they’re the team I support.”
Pagliuca was asked if Villa legend Peter Hithe was among his idols growing up.
He replied: “He was a great player, but I was also mad about Tony Morley, Gary Shaw, who passed away not long ago.
“When I was at home, I always watched the videos and I always checked for their results when I picked up the paper. Their jersey is fantastic, the stadium is great, everything is super.”
Pagliuca also has a tattoo of the Villa crest on his right tricep. He has explained that the tattoo was the result of a ‘bet’ with his son Mattia around the 2018-19 Championship play-off final.
“It was a bet with my son Mattia: ‘If they win the play-off against Derby County and get back to the Premier League, I’ll get a tattoo’. Then he said: ‘What about now?’. It was done almost immediately.”
Pagliuca got to play against his favourite English side once in his career while he was with Inter.
“In 1994, Villa Park hadn’t been renovated yet,” Pagliuca said. “We won 1-0 in Milan through a Bergkamp goal. We went out on penalties in Birmingham. I saved one but Fontolino and Ruben Sosa missed.”
Villa also attempted to bring Pagliuca to the UK once his time with Inter was over.
“I received a call when I left Inter. They wanted me. I was tempted, but then I chose Bologna.”
And what does Pagliuca make of the current Aston Villa side?
“They might be a little less strong than last year. Bologna held up well against them in the Champions League for a little while last season, then they came out on top. It’s a good team, but they had a deeper bench a year ago.”
And who are the Aston Villa players to watch out for?
“Rogers, Watkins, one of the best goalkeepers around in Emiliano Martinez.
“Bologna, against Genoa, showed their character. It was a victory that was needed. The team doesn’t give up and I think that attacking the Villa defence is the way to go about getting a result. Having said that, Italiano is the one who knows how to get it done.”
