Italy goalkeeping legend Dino Zoff has opened up about his time coaching Paul Gascoigne at Lazio, discussing how difficult it was to watch the former England midfielder “throw away his art.”
“I have always admired the artists, the ones who are the creators,” Zoff told Rai Radio 2. “The goalkeeper creates nothing. But he made me crazy with rage, I was sorry for him, he threw away his art in a bad way, my heart cried for him.
“Already at that time it was clear he would have problems when he stopped playing. It was a logical consequence. It may make everything worse to stop when you are at the peak of your career.
“One year he returned to the training camp having put on 12 kilos. He showed up with a ponytail and an extra 12 kilos! I was desperate. When I saw him arrive at the training ground, I asked who he was because I couldn’t tell that it was Gascoigne. It’s the biggest regret of my career.”
