Tuttosport 28/05/99 : Interview with Edwin Van der Sar
EDWIN VAN DER SAR, FIRST FOREIGN GOALKEEPER IN 101 YEARS OF JUVENTUS: ARE
YOU WORRIED ABOUT REPLACING PERUZZI?
"I'm not worried, even though he is a great goalkeeper and this is a great
club. But I think I'm ready: I hope to do well."
WHAT'S YOUR JUDGEMENT ON PERUZZI?
"He's one of the best goalkeepers in the world. I put him on the same level
as Schmeichel and Barthez. They are all awesome players with different
characteristics, so I won't make any preferences."
JUVE HAS NEVER BROUGHT YOU ANY LUCK: IT BEAT YOU IN THE 1996 AND 1997
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE, BEATING YOU 3 TIMES OUT OF 3.
"True, it stopped Ajax's ambitions, first in the final then in the
semifinals. At the time, I would have never thought of being here one day:
I had other things on my mind."
WAS THE LOSS IN ROME AGAINST JUVENTUS YOUR BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT?
"It was an horrible night, but I had already won the Champions League. I
lived my worst moment in the World Cup: the loss in the semifinal against
Brazil still hurts."
WHEN DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU WERE GOING TO WEAR BLACK AND WHITE?
"A couple of weeks ago we had the first contacts, then 7 days or so ago the
more intense meetings. I convinced myself when I spoke to the coach: at
that time I understood how big Juve's goals were. But I already knew about
the team's ambitious programs."
ONE OF YOUR QUALITIES IS YOUR FOOT PLAY: A BIG VIRTUE FOR A MODERN GOALKEEPER.
"It is true, I do pretty good with the ball at my feet."
YOU ALSO SCORED A GOAL LAST SEASON.
"On a penalty kick. We were winning 7-0 and my teammates told me to take
it. I was very nervous, because some years ago I missed one. Instead, it
went well, so I erased that ugly 0 that appears next to the goalkeeper's
stats for goals scored."
DID YOU KNOW THAT RAMPULLA, PERUZZI'S SUB, IS THE ONLY ITALIAN GOALKEEPER
THAT SCORED A GOAL WITH THE BALL ON PLAY?
"I know, I know. But this doesn't change anything: also my sub at Ajax
scored some 10 years ago."
THE LANGUAGE IS A BIG PROBLEM FOR A GOALKEEPER THAT HAS TO GUIDE THE
DEFENSIVE CORPS.
"My objective for this summer is to learn Italian, with my wife. I think
that 2 or 3 months will be enough, at least to know the soccer terms."
[BETTEGA]:
"And let's not forget that a lot of our players, like Mirkovic,
Tudor, and Davids, know very well English."
JUVE HAS SOUGHT SEEDORF: WOULD HE BE USEFUL?
"He's truly a superstar, but I can't be the one to tell this team who it
needs."
DO YOU FEAR JUVE'S INTENSE ATHLETIC PROGRAM?
[BETTEGA]: "Don't forget that the Dutch, in the seventies, were the first
ones to intensify this aspect. Also, for a goalkeeper, it's all different."
VAN DER SAR, IS IT TRUE THAT YOU SUGGESTED VIERI TO JUVENTUS, SINCE, EVEN
THOUGH YOU ARE VERY TALL, YOU ARE AFRAID OF THE LAZIO STRIKER?
[laughs] "Thanks to my 197 cm., which are an advantage for a goalkeeper, I
got used of not being afraid of anyone, even Vieri."
Interview by Stefano Agresti [Tuttosport 28/05/99]
