As Maurizio Crosetti wrote in “Guerin Sportivo” on December 4, 1991, when the team plane takes off for an away game and teammates are rummaging through their bags for cards, electronic games, portable VCRs, glossy magazines, Walkmans, or any other distraction to make time pass faster, Massimo Carrera settles into his seat and begins to read a Stephen King novel. Within seconds, he`s plunged into a horrifying world where blood drenches the pages and terror competes with revulsion.
If it`s true that small details reveal larger truths and that a person is best shown in the particulars, the Bianconero defender`s gruesome literary tastes should serve as a warning to opposing attackers. While we await news on what Pasquale Bruno reads, it must be said that there seems to be no apparent connection between Carrera and terror. Having finished the last page and commented with a photogenic smile (blue eyes, curly blond hair), the defender returns to himself – the complete opposite of what he reads. A calm and reassuring type, he arrived late in top-level football (debuting in Serie A with Bari at twenty-five) and is determined to savor this great professional opportunity at seemingly unreachable Juventus without excessive fanfare but with measured appreciation.
Interview: The Journey to Juventus
Carrera, is it true you never thought you could make it in football?
“Let`s say I never obsessed over it. I preferred fatalism and waiting for things to happen. Until something clicked and I started to believe.”
When did that turning point occur?
“At Alessandria, in 1984. Before that, I had two seasons in the Interregionale league with Pro Sesto and Russi. Serie C2 gave me the opportunity to grow and be noticed by Catuzzi, who was coaching Pescara at the time. Another step up, finally Serie B.”
But the beginning wasn`t easy…
“True, I wasn`t playing much, and doubts started to resurface. But Catuzzi told me he believed in me and that I should stay calm. Indeed, he brought me to Bari, the city where I established myself and proved my worth as a good defender.”
Five seasons in Puglia, as time passed: did you ever feel like just a `category` player?
“No, even though it was very difficult to leave that team. The club wanted to return to the top division and therefore didn`t sell their best players. That`s why I arrived in Serie A late.”
But you quickly caught up: straight to Juve, and as a starter…
“That surprised even me. I didn`t think Trapattoni would give me the number two shirt so soon. Now I have to hold onto it tightly…”
Perhaps it depends on the fact that you can comfortably wear numbers five or six, three, and maybe even four. Where does this versatility come from?
“From being used to different roles. I switched from zone marking to man-marking easily, and just as naturally, I can play as a sweeper or a stopper.”
Indeed, Trapattoni is using you on the right flank…
“That`s perfectly fine. Besides, my role model has always been Claudio Gentile, someone who wore this black and white number two shirt. Phenomenal. I was a fan of his.”
Do you consider yourself a `mean` defender?
“You have to distinguish. I don`t accept anyone intentionally causing harm, but football also involves tough tackles. So, I am rough, not mean.”
Speaking of which: what do you think about the Bruno affair?
“My colleague made a mistake, but the punishment imposed in the first instance was certainly excessive. The risk is being labeled, and now for everyone, Bruno is guilty regardless of what he does. People should remember that there are also some `nasty` attackers, not just defenders. Players who use their elbows, which is fine as long as it`s not overdone.”
They say that if someone commits a foul wearing the black and white shirt, the referee is influenced. In fact, they say that if Bruno had worn your current shirt in the derby, the sanction would have been different.
“I don`t think so, or at least I haven`t noticed it so far. If I tackle hard, I get punished. As has always happened.”
In just a few months, you`ve become a potential candidate for the national team: how does that feel?
“I think I still have a lot to prove. However, the national team is a concrete goal, and perhaps my ability to adapt to different roles could help me convince Sacchi.”
Massimo Carrera off the field: who is he?
“A calm person who is content with the world because when he works, he enjoys himself, and when he stops working, he finds a wonderful family waiting for him. I met my wife Pinuccia in Alessandria and married her in Bari. We have an eighteen-month-old daughter, Francesca. I couldn`t ask for more.”
They describe you as a former wild character: how much of that is true?
“Very little, although I enjoy joking and being with company. I have many friends. On the team, especially Luppi and Baggio.”
But how? They say Baggio is a loner… In fact, to use Agnelli`s definition, an `independent`.
“For me, he`s a really fun guy who loves jokes and banter. Maybe he`s a bit uncomfortable now because he feels surrounded by criticism and knows he has to give much more to Juventus. If we leave him alone, he`ll succeed.”
You and Kohler form one of the most solid defensive pairings in the league. What`s the German like?
“He`s the strongest stopper in the world. I have a lot to learn playing alongside him. And I like him because he always smiles, defusing every situation. Finally, he`s a determined but very fair defender.”
Do you have a professional dream?
“I wouldn`t say so. Some people would give anything for a specific victory, but I prefer a professional approach. If we`re talking about a dream, then I hope to improve and make good use of my remaining years in football. I repeat, I never thought this game could become my profession, not even when I quit accounting after the third year to dedicate myself entirely to football. But it worked out well.”
What is it like to live as a Juventus player but not a star?
“Very good, there`s more serenity and calm, perhaps you can work better. I continue to feel like just one of many, even wearing this shirt.”
Reflections on Facing and Joining Juventus
When the Bianconeri arrived in Bari, lots of friends and acquaintances would appear asking for tickets because a match like that couldn`t be missed. The stadium was always incredibly full, and the anticipation for the game was always intense. I realized the love for Juventus in Bari even when I was playing in Turin. Outside the hotel or while the team bus was going to the stadium, it was full of Bianconeri fans. My former teammates would ask for Juventus players` shirts days in advance. Even though names weren`t printed on them at the time, they would compete to get Baggio`s or Vialli`s. This shows the passion for Juventus even in Puglia.
And for a Bari player, what does it mean to play against Juventus?
“It means a lot. It`s a game where you have the opportunity to showcase yourself: you know it`s often a prohibitive challenge, so you have to give your absolute best and then some, but at the same time, you don`t have much to lose and can make a good impression. A tricky match then, but one that can also offer surprises.”
Surprises like in the 1990-91 season. Gigi Maifredi`s Juventus took a sound beating from Bari. You were one of the best players on the field in that match.
“I remember Maifredi`s Juventus was having a good season up to that game. We played exceptionally well, pressing the Bianconeri from the first minute and never giving them space. It was a deserved victory.”
That Bari team was gritty but also very technical.
“Yes, there were players like Di Gennaro, Scarafoni, Monelli, Joao Paolo. And then many local Bari players, grown in the Bari youth academy and making it to the first team. Those five years were very beautiful. We often played above our capabilities to achieve good placings. After finishing first in Serie B in 1988-89, we also managed to do well in Serie A.”
The Juventus Years: Trapattoni and Lippi
In the summer of 1991, the year after, came the move to Juventus. Giovanni Trapattoni was on the bench. “It was a team under construction. In those years, we laid the foundations for the great results we would achieve a few years later. In `91, when I arrived, Juventus had finished so poorly they couldn`t even participate in European cups, but then, within a few years, still with Trapattoni, we achieved good results. Second place behind Milan in the league the first year and, the following season, winning the UEFA Cup. A strong team, even if it lacked something to completely dominate.”
What do you remember about your experience with Trap?
“A great coach and a great man. He had incredible passion that he knew how to transmit to everyone, especially the young players. After training, he would often stay to explain certain movements, to improve your technique, trapping, shooting. A truly charismatic figure.”
What changed with Lippi`s arrival?
“Above all, the mentality, I`d say. That, along with the arrival of a few players, was what truly made us make the leap in quality. We always went onto the field to win. We ran for ninety minutes and were always hungry for victories. We started with one formation, then after the 2-0 defeat in Foggia, we switched to a 4-3-3, more daring and aggressive, which allowed us to win the Scudetto, the Coppa Italia, and the following year, the Champions League.”
Gifted with great tactical versatility, Massimo was used by Lippi on multiple occasions to cover different defensive roles. “At Bari, I mainly played as a right-back. Lippi also used me in that role on some occasions, depending on fixtures or emergencies. But I primarily played as a center-back, with Ferrara or with Kohler.”
A Juventus fan since childhood, what does it mean to be able to wear the black and white shirt?
“It`s the fulfillment of a dream. From the very first kicks of the ball, you dream of becoming a professional and wearing that shirt. A difficult dream to achieve, but precisely for that reason, even more emotional when it comes true.”
Later Career and Coaching
In the following seasons, Vierchowod and Montero arrived, and Carrera often started from the bench, but every time he was called upon, he delivered excellent performances.
In the summer of `96, he was sold to Atalanta, after accumulating 166 appearances with one goal and a respectable list of honours: one Scudetto, one Coppa Italia, one European Cup (Champions League), one UEFA Cup, and one European Super Cup.
He returned to Juve in 2009, in the role of technical coordinator for the Youth Sector. But in the 2012-13 season, he sat on the bench for the First Team, due to the disqualification of Conte and his assistant Alessio. He achieved seven victories (including the one in Beijing against Napoli valid for the Italian Super Cup) and three draws (two of which were in London against Chelsea and at home against Shakhtar in the Champions League group stage).
Due to Conte`s resignation from Juventus, on July 16, 2014, he was dismissed by the Bianconeri club along with the rest of the Salento coach`s staff, and the following August 19, with Conte signing as head coach of the Italian national team, Carrera joined the Azzurri staff as an assistant.