This article on Gianluca Vialli's time in Ireland was originally published in 2018.
"You need to be unbelievably fit for Gaelic football," is Gianluca Vialli's first observation regarding his brief involvement with the sport.
The Italian took part in AIB's The Toughest Rivalry, managing Dublin side Erin's Isle in a rematch of their 1998 All-Ireland Club Football Championship semi-final against Castlehaven. The Cork side was managed in the 2018 encounter by another former Premier League manager: Harry Redknapp.
Gianluca Vialli on Gaelic football and Ireland
"The pitch is huge, it looks like an airport to me!" said Vialli.
And there are not that many players to cover it (the space) so it really is a physical game with a lot of physical contact and the pace of the game is very fast and furious. It really takes your breath away.
Tactically it is also very different and you need to be an all-rounder. You need to be fast but able to run for 60 to 70 minutes so it's like sprinting continuously. You need to able to take the blows, need to be courageous and pass the ball with your feet and fist so it really takes a lot of skill to play this game.
As with most non-Irish people who encounter Gaelic games for the first time, the amateur aspect struck Vialli.
"It is quite rare that you see guys playing a game just for the passion of the game, without being paid, just for the love of it and representing their parish.
"All of this was new to me and reminded me of where I started in football, in the oratory system in Italy, but I was fascinated to find out more about it bit by bit. It grew into me very quickly."
Picture credit: Sportsfile
