Tommaso Starace: Mertens wonderful, special Maradona bond, secret revealed | OneFootball

After a life spent behind the scenes at Napoli, Tommaso Starace, the historic blue warehouseman, tells his story in an interview with La Repubblica.

Tommaso Starace: “Mertens is a wonderful person. With Maradona, a special bond, I reveal a secret”

A career that began in the kitchen and culminated in almost four decades alongside champions and coaches who made the history of the club.

From dream to reality: the arrival in 1987

“I entered as a helper to chef Maresca, ten years in the kitchen. Then, in 1987, I crowned my dream: I took over from Masturzo as head warehouseman, in January. On May 10, I won my first Scudetto,” Starace recalls.

Maradona, trust, and unique moments

The most intense memories are linked to Diego Armando Maradona:

“Diego was a genius. With him, we were not afraid of anyone, and he taught us how to win. He trusted me a lot: on Sundays, I was the only one authorized to enter his room at 12:30 to take his bag and bring it to the bus. I was by his side even at the 1990 World Cup. In the final against Germany, at the Olimpico, I saw Diego cry”.

Mertens and the friendship that goes beyond the field

Starace has a special relationship with Dries Mertens, who has also become the protagonist of television sketches thanks to the “moka coffee”:

“Dries is a wonderful person and a true champion. We always keep in touch. I had good relationships with all the players: from Crippa to De Napoli, to the Primavera boys, they still have my number. Before every training session, I would talk to everyone, and they knew they could trust me, especially the young ones”.

The moka coffee: a pre-match ritual

Starace's famous coffee has also become an icon in pre-match TV broadcasts:

“Everyone drank it. Maurizio Sarri more than others: he would smoke a cigarette and immediately want another cup. Spalletti, an ex-smoker, was more cautious not to fall back into the habit. Mazzarri was also an admirer. I learned something from all the coaches, from Bianchi to Conte, from the first to the last Scudetto”.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.