13-06-2014
Cesare Prandelli in a fragment from the "Io Mangio italiano" spot, which was recorded with the objective of supporting Italian food. The head coach of the national team painstakingly takes care of the diet of the 23 footballers summoned in Brazil. Will this work? The first answer is expected on the night between Saturday and Sunday, during the debut against England (The interview was published in issue number 4 of Swedish magazine Fool, www.fool.se)
The lean Gianni Rivera would wolf down a huge salami roll to regain his strength after a football game. After a gruelling training session, Zdenek Zeman’s players would devour the contents of the refrigerator. In a 2007 advert, the Italian football squad’s chef said: “And what do World Cup champions have for breakfast? Fruit, milk and bread and Nutella.” All this was just a few years ago, but in terms of sports food science it was back in the Mesozoic era. Nowadays the Italian squad relies on a team of nutritionists and dieticians driven by the following mantra: “The bid for the 2014 fifa World Cup starts at the table.” The team is led by Elisabetta Orsi, owner of Qi Studio and consultant to the Italian Football Federation. She has been involved in the field of sports nutrition for over 20 years, having worked with Arrigo Sacchi, one of the world’s best football coaches, who was also known for pushing his players to eat for success. Doctor Orsi, what is your main responsibility for the Italian team? To develop a diet plan for the entire first squad and, where necessary, work with medical staff to create specific diet plans for individual members. How has this job changed in the past 20 years? The rules remain the same, but the approach is far more enlightened, thanks to a totally new awareness around food culture on all levels. What have been the most common mistakes? Timing and food choices: the when and what to eat haven’t always been seen as determining factors for successful performance.
Elisabetta Orsi, nutritionist of the Italian national team
The cover of Fool Magazine #4, completely dedicated to Italy. Published in English, the project is signed by Swedes Per-Anders and Lotta Jörgensen
WILL WE RAISE IT AGAIN? Materazzi holding the Cup in 2006
Gabriele Zanatta’s opinion: on establishments, chefs and trends in Italy and the world
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born in Milan, 1973, freelance journalist, coordinator of Identità Golose World restaurant guidebook since 2007, he is a contributor for several magazines and teaches History of gastronomy and Culinary global trends into universities and institutes. twitter @gabrielezanatt instagram @gabrielezanatt