Vieira - Gullo

Back to the future

The month; June, year: 2018. The rumour had begun to do the rounds, before taking a hold and then becoming reality: Patrick Vieira was to be the new coach of OGC Nice. Even though there was no need to introduce him in order to know who he was, the coach arrived from New York with humility, visited all of the offices and greeted each employee. In the middle of all this, a special moment with a warm hug, and even more so given that he was in the arms of the World Champion from 98. What is hidden behind this meeting that spiked our interest? Maybe it’s something to ask at a certain moment in time. The moment has arrived: this scene hides a story that dates back many years. 

Do you know who used to give me the information? The man who looked after the stadium. One day he told me to come and take a look at a young player.” The “Rs” are rolled, the tone rises and then falls, giving a sort of melodic feel to the conversation. An excellent eye, a hand on the shoulder and the right words are never far away. And when you get him going, France immediately becomes closer to Italy, the neighbour and cousin. A member of the OGC Nice scouting team, Gianni Gullo can always be found by the pitches and, at the beginning of the 90s, he was already in the area. At that time, the AS Cannes academy boasted a young and promising midfielder. You can be sure  straight away of who we are talking about: the midfielder was called Patrick Vieira, and Gianni worked for AC Milan. 

I watched him for two and a half months, without noticing anything in particular, remembers the man who, at that time, was in charge of French recruitment for the Italian club. Then I began to write reports on him and I spoke about him to my boss. My job was to say if a player was “good for Milan”. He was.” 

From left to right, Dunga, Gianni Gullo and Patrick Vieira

”It’s true that my signing for Milan, it was in part thanks to him, the coach smiled timidly. We have known each other for a long time. What’s funny is that he made me look at everything that he had written about me at the time. What that said? (big smile) It’s a bit personal...” Talking about yourself is always difficult. So Coach Vieira wouldn’t speak any more about the young Patrick, who won the Coupe Gambardella, tasted the professional world, then wore the captain’s armband in D1, at not even 19 years old. “He was big, powerful, capable of going forward, described the scout. And he had his head screwed on, which is important. You could see that he was going to become a good one.”

“He was meant to go to Ajax...” 

At the start of the 90s, the man who was “going to become a good one” began to get better and better, and to progress quicker and quicker. The eyes of Milan scouted with extra attention, until the boy that was one to watch became a must have. Gianni wrote his final report, sent it to his bosses and returned to work. The Italian machine got to work. On 4 November 1995, “the young prodigy”, as the French media described him, signed for AC Milan, after 22 matches in D1.


He went to join one of the most competitive squads on the planet, attended his first training session and then joined Fabio Capello’s squad, alongside Baresi, Maldini, Costacurta, Baggio, Savicevic, Boban and Weah. Gianni saw Patrick at the Milanello, but after a season, the latter left the North of Italy. On his way to his destiny. “The season wasn’t easy for him, explained the former. But for me, he needed to come and stay in Milan, because it was a huge club, made for him. You can never predict what will happen, football is like that. Patrick agreed with Milan and left. In fact, anecdotally, to start with, he was meant to leave for Ajax, but, I am not sure that even he knows that. At the last minute, the agreement was struck with Arsenal, and he became the player that everybody knows. Can you imagine, at times, the details that it all comes down to?”

”He has the mentality of Italian football”

In England, the prodigy became a giant, played 386 games in 9 seasons for the Gunners, won the league, and wore the armband for “Invincibles“... With the French national side, he conquered Europe and the world. Then headed for Italy (Juventus and Inter), before returning to England (Manchester City) and finally made the switch to coaching.

The City academy and the first team of  New York FC preceded his arrival in Nice, and the opportunity for this famous hug with the man who had spotted him. “We were in touch from time to time, continued Signore Gullo, but he hadn’t told me that he had the choice to come here. And then he came...” “I was very happy to see him after all these years, delighted the Aiglons’ coach. On a personal level, it’s always nice to catch up with people who have made a difference to my career. On a professional level, we discuss, I listen to him and all of the scouts, because they have an important role for me.” 

In the same way as he was as a player, he will be the same as a manager, promised Gianni. He has some very interesting ideas and I think that he can bring something good, because the style that he wants to put in place mixes cultures. And then also because he has, like lots of the French side from 98, the mentality of Italian football.” 

Great neighbours, great cousins... 

C.D.