Elegant yet formidable, assured in possession and decisive in the tackle, Andrea Barzagli continued to evolve throughout his career, growing season after season into one of the most reliable defenders of his generation. At the back, he was a constant for both club and country, earning 73 caps for Italy and forming part of the legendary BBC alongside Bonucci and Chiellini, the defensive trio that became the backbone of both Juventus and the Azzurri. The latest Legend special on Vivo Azzurro TV is dedicated to the 2006 World Cup winner.

FROM MIDFIELD TO DEFENCE. Barzagli’s story began in Scandicci, on the outskirts of Florence, where he dreamed of becoming a footballer. “My mother was always driving my brother and me from one pitch to another, while my father would be up at four in the morning because he had a food truck and travelled around the markets selling ham and cheese. He made a lot of sacrifices, but it was a happy childhood.”

Those formative years allowed Barzagli to find his way into senior football without rushing the process, progressing one step at a time. “I started out as an old-fashioned right winger, then spent years playing in midfield, including in the amateur game. But with ‘Bepi’ Pillon I changed position: he moved me into defence, and thankfully he did, because I would never have reached that level as a midfielder.”

Chievo Verona opened the door to the Italy Under-21 side, while Palermo was where Barzagli truly came of age before making the step up to the senior national team and living through the unforgettable summer of 2006. “When I came on in the round of 16 against Australia, the coach put absolutely no pressure on me. After Materazzi was sent off, Lippi simply told me, ‘Stay calm, go on.’ I was suddenly thrown into what was the biggest match of my career. I played those 30 minutes, with Totti’s penalty eventually deciding the game, and I was also on the pitch against Ukraine. I went into that match with a different mindset: there was more tension and a greater sense of what was at stake. But everyone around me helped, because there was so much quality in that squad.” His career continued to gather momentum after 2006. A move to Wolfsburg took him to Germany before he returned to Italy and, in 2011, began a decade of dominance with Juventus. “I enjoyed my years in black and white immensely. That was where I really developed confidence in myself and found the mentality and consistency I had been missing before. They were intense years, with my entire focus on football. I always pushed myself to the limit. It is a life that places huge demands on you mentally.”

BALDINI AND THE UNDER-21S. After retiring as a player, Barzagli returned to the Italy Under-21 setup as Baldini’s assistant. “My relationship with the coach surprised me at the start and continues to surprise me. We did not know each other and, initially, the partnership came as a surprise because nobody expected it. He is like a father to these players. He has lived a life full of experiences, he knows how to talk to them and always has a positive word, trying to help them grow. He is a very modern coach and a very good one.

“Personally, I am taking this path to understand whether coaching is what I want to do in the future. I needed to work alongside an experienced coach who could show me what the job involves and what it means to be part of a staff. It is a really interesting experience, surrounded by capable people and working within a Club Italia structure made up of true professionals. We are trying to do our part for Italian football.”

The Azzurrini will meet up in a week’s time to prepare for their final two European Championship qualifiers: away to Armenia on 1 October and against Poland in Pescara on 5 October. “I think young players today live at a much faster pace than we did when we were footballers. Everything is more immediate for them, they have access to far more information and they are much more professional than we were. We are fortunate to work with them. They are still young and have not yet been fully absorbed into the world of elite football, which inevitably changes a lot of the dynamics. I am confident the Azzurri shirt will shine brightly again.”