San Marino hero Davide Gualtieri has advised FourFourTwo that he was welcomed as “a hero” – regardless of scoring probably the most humiliating targets that the Three Lions ever conceded.
Gualtieri netted lower than 10 seconds right into a sport towards England in Bologna 30 years in the present day, in a match that England wanted to win by seven clear targets to qualify for the 1994 World Cup. It was a second that marked an actual low in Graham Taylor’s period – however based on Gualtieri, he acquired an important response for his golden second.
“My aim was someway accepted and nearly welcomed again in England. I used to be on the entrance web page of the subsequent morning’s Every day Mirror, alongside the headline: ‘END OF THE WORLD,’” Gualtieri tells FFT.
“My mother and father had mates over within the UK they usually despatched me a replica. I had it framed and guard it jealously. I’m on Wikipedia and have had a dialog with FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who knew my story. I grew to become a hero in Scotland, too. Throughout qualifying for Euro 96, we have been drawn in the identical group as them.
“I used to be injured forward of the away sport, so couldn’t make the journey to Glasgow, however many supporters that day wore T-shirts saying, “Gualtieri, eight seconds”. I’d like to have gotten one. My team-mates stated the Scotland followers couldn’t wait to see me play, and that I used to be their idol due to what I’d achieved towards England.
“My brother is a physician, and two years later he participated in a soccer match for European hospitals, which was in Scotland. When individuals heard that he was my brother, he loved free meals and drinks for 2 days! A journalist additionally revealed I used to be voted Man of the Yr due to my aim.”
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