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14 Established 1961 Sports Monday, May 14, 2018 The workshop that makes eliminated Italy home of the World Cup Italians will still make the cup shine PADERNO DUGNANO: When the World Cup is held lift the new trophy, Losa recounts how her company aloft in July, it won’t be an Italian lifting the trophy. The bagged the contract. “There were 53 proposals from all eliminated Azzurri will not brighten the tournament, but over the world, but we were the only ones to have made Italians will still make the cup shine. a model, a physical product,” she says. “Having it in The four-time winners’ humiliating exit in front of you, not just a drawing-that plays.” November’s playoff defeat to Sweden cast a pall over Soon after every World Cup, FIFA sends the trophy, one of the world’s proudest football nations. Italy are which is 38 centimetres long and contains more than six not going to the World Cup, kilos of solid gold and mala- but the World Cup will come chite, home to be tended to. to Italy. “For four years it travels, and Every four years, in an is exposed to the elements. anonymous building in an It’s a little damaged, but we industrial town near Milan, put it back into shape,” says amid the clouds of metal dust The original Pietro Brambilla, one of the and sound of presses and Bertoni workshop’s eight hammers, an Italian company is the original specialist workers. Brambilla gets its hands on the World has no interest in football but Cup trophy itself-and gives it something changes when he a makeover. sees the World Cup winning GDE Bertoni, a small busi- captain lift the trophy. “I ness with 12 employees always shed a tear at that based in the Milanese suburb of Paderno Dugnano, moment because that trophy passed through my hands. designed and created the current cup in 1971 after It’s an amazing feeling,” he says. “Not many people can Brazil kept the Jules Rimet trophy after they won the say that they’ve held the World Cup.” World Cup for the third time, and every four years it returned home for a spruce up. COVETED “It’s always a special feeling when the original tro- As well as making the original, Bortoni is also phy comes back to us, even if we see the replica every responsible for making a replica which the eventual day,” says Valentina Losa, director of the company her winners of each tournament get to keep. The replica is great-grandfather founded in 1938. The trophy was made from brass, after which is undergoes a range of made by the company’s then-artistic director, sculptor treatments including milling and polishing before being Silvio Gazzaniga, helped by Valentina’s father Giorgio, bathed in 24-carat gold. PADERNO DUGNANO: File photo shows artisans working on a replica of the FIFA football World Cup Trophy who suggested the globe at the top of the trophy. “The “We do this by eye. Once we see that she is beauti- at the Italian trophy and medal manufacturer GDE Bertoni. original is the original. It’s like the difference between ful, it comes out,” says Ahmed Ait Siti Abdelkader, seeing the original Mona Lisa or a copy. It’s not the depositing a varnish that will keep the trophy shiny for same feeling at all.” about a decade. “The World Cup is something differ- Sergio Ramos or Manuel Neuer could be lifting the tro- over. “It’s such a coveted trophy that when a team wins ent,” he adds. “We make a lot of cups here, for Africa, phy rather than Italy captain Gianluigi Buffon, whose it, the players mess around with it and take advantage “AMAZING FEELING” the Gulf, Europe, Central America ... but this one has an post-elimination tears captured a nation’s heart in of it-a bit too much,” says Losa. “Sometimes it comes Standing in front of an autographed photo of Franz extraordinary effect on you, different from all the oth- November. But a few months later it will come home back with a bit of work to do. Let’s just say that in 2006 Beckenbauer, who in 1974 became the first captain to ers.” On July 15 Neymar, Lionel Messi, Hugo Lloris, again to an industrial corner of Italy for its regular once the Italians really partied.” —AFP “It was my personal initiative to leave Zenit, which is Mancini quits Zenit, related to my family circumstances,” he said. “I made this decision around three months ago. And it wasn’t connected to any other club or the national team. eyes Italian job “I don’t have a feeling that I’ve made mistakes or my Crotone stall decisions (as Zenit manager) were wrong,” Mancini said. “If I was able to rewind time back I would have Lazio’s Champions SAINT PETERSBURG: Roberto Mancini quit as Zenit done everything the same way.” Saint Petersburg coach yesterday, saying he now felt Mancini, 53, who signed a three-year deal with Zenit free to open talks with Italy over the vacant national last summer with an option of a two-year extension, led League ambitions team job. Mancini was said to have reached agreement Zenit to a fifth-place finish in the Russian league, seven to become the next Italy coach last Tuesday, Gazzetta points behind the newly-crowned champions ROME: Lazio were held to a 2-2 draw by lowly dello Sport reported, but he denied that on Sunday. Lokomotiv Moscow. Crotone on Sunday and now host Inter Milan next Earlier in the day the club confirmed Mancini would Italian Federation (FIGC) commissioner Roberto week in a decisive final day battle for Champions be leaving the Russian Premier League club. “Zenit and Fabbricini said last week that Mancini, a former Man League football. In the match of the day, Juventus are Roberto Mancini have reached an agreement over early City and Inter Milan coach, had agreed in principle to at Roma later in a clash which could see the Turin termination of his contract,” Zenit said in a statement. become the next manager of four-time world champi- giants be crowned Serie A champions for a seventh “The contract was cancelled by mutual consent of the ons Italy, who failed to qualify for the World Cup after consecutive season. defeat to Sweden in a two-leg playoff. Juventus need just a point to seal the Scudetto parties without any indemnity payments.” even if second-placed Napoli lose at Sampdoria. Mancini however insisted that no arrangements con- Earlier Mancini has said he would be proud to coach Roma, in third, are assured of their Champions cerning a possibility of his work with the Italian nation- Italy, telling Italian radio: “If one day I got the chance to League berth next season after Inter Milan lost 2-1 to al side had been achieved yet. “It would have been sit on the national team bench it would be something Sassuolo at the San Siro on Saturday. There was a totally wrong to hold talks before my contract (with beautiful.” During his 17-year coaching career Mancini lot at stake for both Lazio-bidding to seal elite Zenit) had been cancelled,” he told the news conference led City to their first English league title in 44 years in European action-and Crotone who desperately Sunday after his last match as Zenit manager. 2012, and won three Serie A titles with Inter Milan. needed a result to move away from the relegation “I cannot confirm yet that I will be Italy’s next He also won Italian Cups with Inter, Fiorentina and zone. Lazio have been hit by the injury of top Serie A national head coach. But I will be able to hold talks Lazio. Italy have been without a permanent coach since scorer Ciro Immobile, but the Romans nevertheless about it with the Italian (football) federation pretty Gian Piero Ventura was sacked after they failed to took the lead when Senad Lulic converted a penalty soon.” Mancini added that he decided to part his ways qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 60 years Roberto Mancini on 17 minutes after he was fouled in the box by with Zenit around three months ago. after losing to Sweden in November. — AFP Mario Sampirisi. Nigerian forward Simy grabbed the equaliser after half an hour for the southerners with Federico Ceccherini adding a second after the break. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic grabbed a point for Lazio six minutes from the whistle to leave their fortunes down Larger than life to next week’s showdown in the Stadio Olimpico. Pakistan hockey Lazio are three points ahead of fifth-placed Inter Burgos will and will go through with a draw. A win would give Inter the berth and send Lazio into the Europa hero dies at 50 League. “It’s a big missed opportunity,” said Lulic. be Simeone’s “Now it’s all the play for on the last day against Inter. from heart failure “We can make it, but it’s a pity that we let in two goals today. We know what we have to do. “Now we sideline spirit need to see whether any injured players come back. KARACHI: Pakistan’s World Cup-winning hockey We deserve the Champions League, it would be a MADRID: Atletico Madrid assistant coach German ‘Mono’ hero Mansoor Ahmed died Saturday of heart fail- shame to throw it all away now.” — AFP Burgos has fought off cancer, sung in a heavy metal band ure aged 50 after battling the disease for years, and was once suspended for 11 games for knocking an his family said.