We think it’s fair to say that most Arsenal fans won’t remember who Sandro Cois is.
Unless you have a vivid memory of the two games against Fiorentina back in 1999, there’s little chance his name would ring a bell, but for the player himself, the second game, the one played at Highbury, is rather important.
For the former midfielder, the away fixture was the beginning of the end of his career, all caused by a collision with former Arsenal defender Tony Adams.
In that game, he came off at half-time to be replaced by Daniele Adani, with the final score being a 1-0 away win for his side thanks to a great finish from Gabriel Batistuta.
Speaking to TuttoMercatoWeb, the 47-year-old was reminded he retired from the game at a young age (he was 31).
He explained why: “I had begun to understand in the last year at Fiorentina. I tried to continue for two more seasons at Sampdoria and Piacenza, but I could no longer make it. I couldn’t train anymore and playing in a physical role, I gave up, giving up the last year of my contract.
“It all started in that damned Arsenal-Fiorentina in 1999 where I received a headbutt from Tony Adams. I went to the hospital in London and they saw nothing but a head injury. However, I always had a fever, an allergy to anti-inflammatories, and after several visits, I found out I had two cervical hernias, one of which was serious.”
The defensive midfielder, who ended up being capped three times by Italy between 1998-99, spent eight years at Fiorentina from 1994 onwards, during which he made 218 appearances in all competitions, scoring 10 goals along the way.
