Former Napoli and Italy teammate, Dino Zoff, pays tribute to Antonio Juliano, following the death of the ex-Napoli captain. Zoff opened up about his memories of Juliano to the Italian daily, La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Zoff painted a picture of a “true captain,” a testament to Juliano’s immeasurable leadership and talent. He said, “Antonio wasn’t just an exceptional, fair player, but an absolutely wonderful person, a man of values, and great stature. An example to all, both on and off the field. He demonstrated unique loyalty and love for his hometown and for the Napoli jersey.”
The two shared locker rooms both in Napoli and on the national team, but Zoff recalls their first encounter was during their military service in Cecchignola, Rome. At this point, there was no national military team. Zoff noted that he has no particular anecdotes to recount, instead, he cherishes the memory of Antonio as “a pleasing person, unique in his own way.”
The last time Zoff saw Juliano was many years ago. With regret, he mentions that for some time now, they hadn’t been able to get in touch. Zoff concluded by saying, “This is news that greatly saddens me. The captain will be missed by all.”