Reggina coach Filippo Inzaghi believes his brother Simone has the tougher job of the two of them and explained how difficult it will be for Cristiano Ronaldo to finally hang up his boots. SuperPippo was interviewed by Sky Sport Italia (via FCInter1908) and discussed his relationship with his brother and the difficulties players face at the end of their playing careers:
My brother and I? When we were younger, I broke my fifth metatarsal at home, he and I were playing with the fireplace and bathroom door as goals, having discarded our socks, I half-faked him and no one knows why, and I broke my foot. I was already playing in Piacenza, in the Allievi. I went back to bed thinking that I was dreaming and that I had broken my finger while playing at home, but at that time I had to explain it to the club.
Simone definitely he has more pressure than me. Coaching certain teams, I’ve experienced it firsthand, it’s not easy. Sometimes when you lose if you don’t have strength inside you, everyone is on you. It’s not easy, especially with social media. But I think in the end what saves us is the work, the passion. There was a time when he was my captain, at San Nicolo. My parents made us study but they gave us good lessons. They were a close-knit couple, they raised us with love and that’s what we hope for our children, that’s it. Today Simone was in Reggio, now we will also play a friendly on the 22nd in Reggio, Reggina-Inter.
The International break? I am curious how it affects us too because it has never happened, only in Germany it happened. Serie B stops for three weeks and it is not the same thing. I know it was in Malta, I haven’t heard from Simone, but so many teams put on important friendlies.
Ronaldo’s retirement? I always say that it’s hard for us to stop, to accept, as it happened for each of us, the end. You never know what awaits you afterwards and you know that what you are doing gives you emotions that are difficult to recapture.
I don’t know what goes through your head, it’s not easy for a coach to handle. Luckily for me they made me stop, I would have gone on to 39 years old, but some players deserve to finish at great levels.”
