AC Milan Women’s team striker Deborah Salvatori Rinaldi took part in a live interview during “AC Milan talk” for the AC Milan official Twitch channel, and she spoke pretty much about everything, from her noble family inheritance to her grandmother, who, according to her, is a football expert.
Here some what was said:
On her double surname:
"I'm more used to answering this as "why do you have two surnames?" question. My father's great-great-grandfather was Count D'Aquila, and married Countess Rinaldi and since then the tradition of my double surname. Indeed, I am the last of this line. I really care about my double surname. My father is known only as Rinaldi at work, so out of his preference i chose to use both my surnames."
On the nickname:
"Rinaldinha is one of the first nicknames that my dad's friends gave me, he used to play when I was little"
Reading addiction boosted during quarantine:
"This year I have read about sixty books. I've always enjoyed reading, with quarantine I got an extra boost. I'm reading Italo Calvino's “Il barone rampante”, it was a classic that I was missing. I alternate a classic with a novel. Now I'm struggling with my thesis."
Companions during these days:
"I'm with my roommate, Laura Fusetti, who is cooking, there is also Alessia Piazza who helps out. They are the best at cooking. Laura makes bread and bread sticks. Sara Tamborini and Valentina Bergamaschi make me company too since we can’t go home."
Miriam Longo, partner in painting:
"There is a painting I did with Miriam Longo. When we got the news that she would have to have an operation on her shoulder, then I proposed to do a picture together before she could no longer use her arms for a while."
Grandma Pia and football:
“In my house it is said that we eat bread and football. My uncle was one of the first to leave home to try to be a footballer. You already chew football from there. She has 5 kids, two women and three boys, all footballers. My grandmother does not only know the game, but she also knows all the things around it, who plays more, the hierarchy of the players etc. She always follows the matches, also thanks to the fact that today the Women's football is much easier to follow. I would love to see her again, she is in Abruzzo with my whole family, while my sister is in France”.
When Milan calls, you answer it:
"I had an important moment in my career with Fiorentina, in two years we have won the League, the Super Cup and the Coppa Italia. I have always been overly ambitious, I wanted to have an experience abroad and I went to Spain. AC Milan's call was a rebirth after a bad injury. It is the most successful club in the world, your pride rises. The call filled me with pride and responsibility. Funny thing is the year Milan became interested in me, i scored a goal against the rossonere that didn't allow them to go to the Champions League. Maybe they went after me to make sure I’d not score against them again, who knows? But try to imagine a call from Milan… That was my reaction”.
Always looking for the sun:
"I always celebrate like that, I look for the sun even when I'm not sure where to look, but, you know, some of my companions said that the moment I entered the field the sun appears in the sky. I joke, but that represents my philosophy, always in search of positivity."
A message to the Milan fans:
“The fans were charging us a lot, I hope to see you at the stadium soon, I miss them so much. Even when I got injured, they were all close to me. I love the tifosi Rossoneri, the people who loves AC Milan."
Image credits: acmilan.com
