Internet Desk: Roberto Mancini, Gianluca Vialli and Ronaldo have had their names added to the Italian Football Association’s (FIGC) Hall of Fame.
The trio were among 10 new additions at a ceremony in Florence on Monday with Mancini earning his stripes for his achievements as coach of Inter Milan, in his first spell, while Vialli was recognised for his playing achievements and Ronaldo’s name was added as one of the greatest foreign players in Serie A.
The FIGC’s Hall of Fame is a celebration of our champions in the words of FIGC president Carlo Tavecchio, who hopes young players and managers will have the desire and ability to reach this objective in future.
That was a very high level in the 1990s, when Ronaldo arrived at Inter Milan from Barcelona as the latest in a long line of big names to strut their stuff in Serie A. It was, as the Brazilian said, the dream come true.
While Mancini admitted he would have preferred to take the award for his performances on the field, Vialli suggested he would like to win it for his coaching one day. The 51-year-old has worked as a football expert for Sky Sport Italia since he left Watford in 2002, but he admits a return to coaching is an ambition.