Tassotti reflects on van Basten’s time at Milan and management ‘regret’: “An idol” | OneFootball

Mauro Tassotti is a name tied to AC Milan’s history. After spending 17 years with the club as a player, the defender then spent another 20 years with the club in different roles.

Loyalty in football is one of the appreciated traits for fans, and Tassotti is a name that strikes for it. After arriving in 1980 after the match-fixing scandal, the defender remained at the club as it gradually rose back into its previous state.

Just eight years after he joined, the Italian won his first Serie A with the club. Then, he won the Scudetto three seasons in a row in the 1991/92 season. These medals sit in a well-occupied cabinet, which also includes four Supercoppa Italiana medals and six European medals.

Considering where the club was when he joined, it is certainly a story of success. Today, he spoke to Gazzetta dello Sport about his time at the club, his admiration for Marco Van Basten and his regret.

Tassotti, what do you remember of the Marco van Basten-inspired 4-0 vs. Goteborg?

“The ball for the goal in the half-volley to Marco was given to Eranio. It was an important match, but not a decisive one. In any case those four goals remained a record for many years.”

In that match, Mauro was deployed at full-back…

“Ah, Capello really liked to mix things up.”

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In the stands was Gunnar Nordahl, who went to hug Marco at the end of the match…

“Marco was an idol, no wonder Milan’s all-time top scorer paid his respects. When he arrived at Milan, Van Basten may not have been very well known, because the Dutch league was not exactly the best. But we had seen the footage. Even before we started training with him, we understood that he was a phenomenon.”

One word to define Van Basten?

“Elegance. It is rare that such a tall player was able to combine technique, elegance and above all effectiveness. Marco was very similar to Cruijff, who was the idol of a generation, mine too.”

Cruijff was your idol?

“Why are you surprised? When you’re 13 or 14 years old you don’t really get into full-backs, who by the way were shouted at at the time if they went beyond the halfway line. Besides, as a kid I played in midfield.”

Marco looked like Cruijff. Was there one similar to Marco after that?

“I honestly don’t think so. I have a hard time finding one. I can’t think of anyone with that physique who was able to play with such elegance. I can think of Dzeko, a great player, with a physique that resembles him. But it’s not the same thing.”

The most beautiful things you have seen Van Basten do?

“I remember a backhand goal scored when he was still at Ajax, high into the seventh, grace and power. But even with us, he scored beautiful and above all useful goals. I remember a goal against Empoli at home, we were 0-0 up and couldn’t get away from there.

“He came on more or less half an hour from the end and scored a very beautiful goal, with a body fake and a shot from outside the box that would have spied anyone.”

That season Milan won the Scudetto and Sacchi’s cycle began, with Van Basten at half service…

“Even though he played with only one leg he managed to make the difference. Marco was a very special player, yet I have seen champions. But he moved with an indescribable lightness and intelligence.”

You and Van Basten are still very close now, but you once had a big fight at Milanello…

“True. Maybe I came into training in a tough way, he got angry and we pushed each other. Sacchi sent us both to the locker room.”

They say you got into a fistfight…

“That’s not true and it couldn’t be true. It was camp stuff. I think Sacchi wanted to give a signal to everyone because we were coming from a Champions Cup match and maybe we were a bit nervous. But I could never have taken a punch at Marco.”

How is Van Basten now?

“Relaxed, happy. He keeps telling me that life must go on. I had hip surgery and now I’m retired and only play golf, but I listen to him.”

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And how is Mauro Tassotti?

“More or less a pensioner who plays golf. But every time I see Marco and my other teammates from that period, it’s a party. For all of us. We were a gang of friends.”

Have you ever regretted not being a head coach?

“I was 17 years at AC Milan and I’m happy that way. I regret my experience at Genoa with Sheva, because it’s a nice place and we could have done a good job, but there were so many mistakes. Also on our part, perhaps we weren’t able to transmit our values and our projects.”

In today’s football, apart from the loyalty of the players, is there a lack of continuity of management?

“In general, it’s true, but maybe we 60-year-olds who have experienced a different football realise that. The world has changed.”

Tassotti, do you think if Van Basten hadn’t had so many injuries he would have played and stayed with Milan for a long time?

“I think so, there would have been no reason to go elsewhere. Barcelona and Cruijff courted him for a long time, but when you’re doing well you don’t go anywhere else, and Milan were the best then. Unfortunately, Marco had to deal with other problems.”