Interpreter Enzo Passerini did not please Slovakia’s coach Francesco Calzona by keeping his fingers crossed for Juventus
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We have already written about it several times in the last few days. Our national football team has entered a new era. It’s not just that Francesco Calzona became the new coach. Since we have an Italian coach, for the first time in history an interpreter is an integral part of not only press conferences.
Quick forgetting as a good quality
Enzo Passerini found himself in this position. She studied interpreting in Rome. He speaks our language best, but he does not deny his origin from the Apennine Peninsula. Not only thanks to the name tag on the table during press conferences. Expressive gesticulation is his own, sometimes he touches the microphone in front of him with his hands. So he is an Italian who comes from the region of Abruzzo, but connected his life with Slovakia. “What can I tell you, during my studies a blonde, Slovak girl caught my eye… We have known each other for more than twenty years, of which we have been married for seventeen,” he explained at the beginning of our debate.
However, it was not his wife who would discourage him from living in our country. Rather, things happened naturally, as they say. “She really wasn’t drawn to the house very much. We lived alternately in Italy and Slovakia. However, it was in Slovakia that I found job opportunities, which I enjoy the most through interpreting and translating. So we’ve come a long way because of me. I have been doing this work for 25 long years. In addition to Slovak and Italian, I also speak English, French and Czech,” said Enzo Passerini.
CALZONE WITHOUT STRESS
In Slovakia, a few weeks before the official announcement, Francesca Calzona’s name was mentioned in connection with filling the position of head coach of our national team. Did it occur to him then that he would have the honor of interpreting his words?
“I confess, I don’t watch much, I don’t read the newspaper at all. I did not know that the Slovak Football Association (SFZ) was negotiating with an Italian coach. A colleague who also cooperates with SFZ approached me to ask if I could go and interpret for President Ján Kováčik, because he was awaiting negotiations with an Italian. Supposedly a coach. I jokingly asked if the coach wanted to hire me. At the first meeting I learned that the man was Francesco Calzona,” described the beginning of cooperation.
Enzo Passerini was therefore involved in the tough negotiations of all parties involved, which led to the signing of the contract. So he knows the circumstances of the 53-year-old coach’s arrival in Slovakia. “I know everything, but the good quality of an interpreter is to set up quickly,” he smiled.
He is a man in the right place. Not only for his language skills, emphasis on silence, but also in football, he is like a true Italian at home. “I support Juventus Turin. Since childhood! But I am also a Slavist, I attend the matches of the Whites with my children,” nothing was hidden. We immediately wondered if he had also told Francesco Calzona, who worked at rival SSC Napoli, about his love for the white and black colors of Turin. “He wasn’t thrilled, but I like him,” he laughed and we immediately asked if the coach had requested an hour’s notice for his interpreter after this information. “Fortunately, there are not many interpreters from Italy in Slovakia,” he replied further in a joking manner.
Interpreting is not just about sitting down at a desk and translating. You have to study things and it is best to find out in advance how the given person communicates. “I repeat, I’m a fan of Juventus, so I didn’t know Francesco Calzona. I looked up information about him on the Internet to know where he had been and what he had experienced. I may have seen him on TV in the past, but that’s about it.” said Enzo Passerini.
Francesco Calzona has performed at a top level so far as an assistant coach. Men in this position rarely speak to the media because the head coach is in charge of communication. Our coach gives it a relaxing press conference. “I already have experience with interviews. He told me that coach Maurizio, whom he assisted, sent Sar to journalists a few times. Don’t notice any nervousness on him at all,” commented Enzo Passerini, for whom interpreting in the football environment is also not new.
Coach Francesco Calzona is in the foreground, interpreter Enzo Passerini is walking behind him. It looks like they will be an inseparable pair during the Italian implementation team’s stay in Slovakia.
Source: SPORT/MILAN ILLÍK
“I interpreted for great Italian players during their visits to Slovakia, such as Salvatore Schillaci and Franco Baresi. But I’m more fed by orders for the political and marketing sphere. However, this is a really good job for me, as I am a football fan.” he was smiling.
Is it difficult to translate for people from a football background? “Technically, it is not difficult, as I am interested in football and I know the terminology. Press conferences are unproblematic. Much more up-to-date players are a mothering team, where football expressions that only occur between coaches are already being used. Although there are not so many of them, it requires additional expertise there. That’s why it’s great that Pavol Farkaš, a former representative who speaks Italian, also graduated from the implementation team. He knows Italian the best and fluently, maybe he just makes a few mistakes, but that’s not important at all.” replied Enzo Passerini.
Once you get to know this Italian native, you will be impressed by his intelligent and cultured demeanor. He acts as a distinguished and decent person. How do I feel in a free sports team? “Really good! In Italy, we usually hit it off right away, and that’s how it works in the world of sports as well. The coach and I have basically been friends since day one, and the same applies to the other members of the implementation team.”
What about the players? When a Juventus fan meets Inter Milan footballer Milan Škriniar or SSC Napoli midfield leader Stanislav Lobotko, he may not be entirely to his liking. “Whatever, I have to put up with them,” he laughed and then added more seriously: “Of course, I have no problem. However, I am not in such close contact with the boys, but I had a good discussion with goalkeeper coach Matúš Kozáčik.”
Fans are asking today. Will the Slovak-Italian mix work in our national team? There is not much information from the inside, so we also “pulled” from Enzo Passerini how he feels about the atmosphere in our team. “I am not part of the implementation team, I am only an external interpreter, so my contact with the team is not that intense. However, from what I have seen, I have only good feelings and I can imagine that the atmosphere here is nice.” he testified.
HE ALSO WENT TO PASTURES
We could not avoid the topic of another passion of the interpreter of our national team. Why is it that Enzo Passerini became a Slovan fan? “I live not far from Bratislava, so it was clear… We used to go to Pasienky with our children, now we enjoy matches at the top Tehelno poli. I believe that we will experience more beautiful successes of the national team and Slovan on it,” stated Enzo Passerini.
Even longtime fans of the Whites did not like going to Pasienky, they have been breathing with the club since childhood. It seems that this Italian lives in white colors more than many Bratislavans! “I didn’t go to all the games, but I did. I am a Slavist and I also try to lead children to sports by visiting matches. I like the contemporary Slav. Some matches are better, some are different. It is normal. It’s not Serie A, but I’m certainly satisfied. I like the path set by coach Vladimír Weiss st. Seeing that he is very experienced,” added Enzo Passerini at the end of the debate.
NEAREST PESCARA
He goes to Slovan regularly, it is more difficult with his beloved club from Italy. “I have never been to the Juventus stadium because Turin is approximately 800 kilometers from my hometown. In addition, it is a difficult and expensive ticket, the stadium is usually full. I’ve seen Juventus live a few times in their opponents’ stadiums,” said Enzo Passerini and then added: “There is no Serie A or Serie B club near my hometown. About 60 kilometers away is Pescara, for which Vladimír Weiss Jr. played in the past, was coached by the Czech Zdeněk Zeman, and today Slovakian Ľubomír Tupta works there. Unfortunately, it’s only the third league, but I’ll show up there about twice a year…”
WHO IS ENZO PASSERINI?
He comes from the Italian town of Bomba, from the region of Abruzzo, but lives in Slovakia in Slovensky Grob. She graduated in interpreting in Rome, and completed her studies in Bratislava. He interprets and translates for five languages (Italian, Slovak, Czech, English, French). After the engagement of coach Francesco Calzona, the Slovak Football Association uses his services. Football is one of his passions, he is a fan of Juventus Turin and Slovan Bratislava. He and his wife Milada have five children – Laura (16), Christian (14), Simon (11), Filip (9), Lujza (6).