“Before becoming a coach, I was a player. I was able to play for many years because I always led a healthy lifestyle, and this is something I also try to do now.” Speaking as a guest on the ‘Quando lo sport fa stare bene’ (‘When sport makes you feel good’) instalment of the Festival di Salute series on la Repubblica’s website, Roberto Mancini emphasised the importance of physical activity to prevent and help overcome illnesses. The National Team Head Coach spoke about the experiences of Gianluca Vialli and Sinisa Mihajlovic, two friends and former teammates: “They are an example for all those who are afflicted by illness. The fact that they told their stories may have helped many people dealing with their own situations.”

An ambassador for the ‘Insieme contro il Cancro’ (‘Together against Cancer’) foundation, Mancini then talked about the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle: “Since I stopped playing, I’ve continued to train every day. I advise everyone to practise sport because it helps you live better and be better in everything you do.” The Head Coach was speaking alongside the oncologist Francesco Cognetti, who confirmed the fact that being sedentary can lead to health issues: “34% of the population doesn’t practise any sport, 31% are overweight and 11% are obese.”

However, doing too much sport can also cause problems, something which footballers know well as they try to grapple with an increasingly busy schedule: “We used to go away on a training camp and not play any important matches for a month. Nowadays, games are played after just a week. When there are 2-3 matches a week, the players hardly get any rest. More time to prepare and fewer games would be the best thing,” said Mancini. The Head Coach also expressed his wish for a gradual reopening of stadiums, in full respect of all the safety measures: “When I watched the Sassuolo match the other evening, I saw people standing in line and suitably distanced from others to safeguard everyone’s health. It’s possible for many more than a thousand people to enter stadiums.”