Italians have raised the art of defending to sublime heights, a reputation enhanced by the likes of Giovanni Trappatoni, Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Nesta and Fabio Cannavaro among several other class acts. FC Pune City’s Italian centre back Bruno Cirillo knows that he not only has to defend his citadel but also his country’s reputation in the Hero Indian Super League. The tall and intimidating defender who has the innate ability to strike fear into an opposing forward, opened up in a candid chat with indiansuperleague.com to give a glimpse into his world and origins. “I started playing football when I was a little baby. I used to play in school when I was a toddler and then at the age of 14, I gave a trial at Reggina. They accepted me and helped me develop my full potential,” recalls Cirillo, when asked about his beginnings in the game.Cirillo is reunited with manager Franco Colomba, who coached him during his Reggina days. “It is wonderful to play under Franco once more. We had a beautiful time in Reggina and it was because of his efforts that Reggina avoided relegation and stayed in the top division. He gave me a chance to play. It was a dream come true and I returned his faith by playing well and even scoring a goal,” he remembers. "Football is never different, it’s the same all over the world."Bruno CirilloThe former Inter-Milan player is quite a globe trotter having played in Italy, Spain, France, Greece and Cyprus. So how different is Indian football from the rest? “Football is never different, it’s the same all over the world. Cultures differ, conditions differ, players differ, fans differ, but football remains the same all over the world. It’s a truly universal game which transcends cultural boundaries. Football in India is no different from football in rest of the world,” he declares.His views on India as a country were refreshingly honest and truthful: “It’s too early to give my views on India as a country because honestly, I haven’t witnessed much of it yet. But I am sure once I get a chance to explore, I will love it. However, my interactions with my Indian counterparts have been very positive and the people here are extremely kind and considerate. It’s been wonderful till now.” When asked about his expectations from the ISL, he promptly responds, “It’s not about the expectations. There are so many quality players who have joined this league and I believe it’s the responsibility of each and every one of us to ensure that it lives up to the expectations of the Indian football fans,” he explains. He concludes the interview by requesting fans to look at the ISL as a long-term project. “The ISL is not just for this particular year. We need to understand that for the league to be successful it needs to keep happening every year. So we need to keep looking forward in a futuristic perspective.”
