09/08/2025
I was barely 21 years old when I bought a red Ferrari 550 Maranello.
It was the first expensive thing I had ever bought after reaching the top at a young age.
But I couldn't enjoy it.
I hid it. I parked it two blocks away from the training ground, and I only drove it at night.
Why!?
Because I was afraid of the coach.
You didn’t have to hear Ferguson speak to understand him.
You just had to see him standing at his office window, looking at you.
That look alone would put you in your place.
He came up to me and said:
"That’s the right thing to do."
That’s where I learned a lesson.
That it’s not just about talent.
It’s about respect.
Respect for the team, for the badge, for the institution.
And above all, respect for yourself.
In that dressing room, it didn’t matter if you were the new rising star or the most experienced player.
We all had to behave with humility,
On and off the pitch.
That culture shaped me.
It made me understand that real professionalism has nothing to do with luxury or fame.
But with how you live your life when no one’s watching.
That’s why, when people ask me how I managed to stay at the top level for so many years,
To play at the highest level until I was forty,
I always give them the same answer:
It was because of what I learned there.
It was because of respect.
And because I had a coach who, without saying much, taught me everything. ♥️👏🏻
