EXCLUSIVE Marino: "Berardi could have played for Napoli"
On Giacomo Bonaventura’s move from Atalanta to Milan, for example, Marino reveals that the midfielder was “one of the best moves Milan have made in the last four years”.
“He played as a left winger in a four-man midfield at Atalanta,” Marino told cm.com’s Federico Zanon e Guglielmo Cannavale.
“But he could even emulate Pirlo in the future”.
“He was in tears on transfer deadline day because Inter weren’t going to sign him, so I called Galliani and we made the deal. This is immediately after Milan failed to nab Biabiany.”
Having exploded this season with Torino, Daniele Baselli is not hot property among Serie A clubs. Can you guess who could have had him for relatively little back in 2014?
“Milan also had the option to go for Baselli, Galliani even spoke to his agent!”
Oh dear.
Moving on, the former Napoli and Atalanta director had some very kind words for Domenico Berardi:
“He has all the talent to become a top player. I know him well, we spotted him when he was 12/13 years old, but he didn’t come down to Naples because he was shy. Had we taken him, he could still be here!”
Among Marino’s other illustrious accomplishments is building Edy Reja’s Napoli, the side that earned promotion back to the leagues in 2006/2007 and didn’t look out of place, thanks to the signings of Ezequiel Lavezzi and Marek Hamsik. What does Marino have to say about the transfer speculation surrounding them?
“I think Lavezzi could return to Italy, but Napoli seems like an unlikely destination. He would certainly come in very handy for Inter, Juventus and Milan, he’s very good and he seems more mature to me.”
“I used to say that Hamsik was good enough to win the Golden Ball, but he’s lost two years playing as a Number 10 under Benitez. He’s a central midfielder!”
