In the prime of his career, Roberto Muzzi was a recognised Serie A striker between the 1990s and 2000s. He has now revealed he turned down a move to Arsenal.
Now 55, Muzzi is the manager of Cagliari’s Primavera side. It is also the club where he played over 150 times and scored over 60 goals, while being mainly in the Serie A and having one season in Serie B.
He also had a largely successful spell at Udinese after that, playing for Torino and Lazio after that.
Muzzi has now opened up about a saga involving Arsenal during his playing days.
Reasons for rejection revealed
Muzzi spoke to the official Cagliari podcast this week and revealed that Arsenal wanted him during the Arsene Wenger days.
They were ready to fly him to London and seemed keen on the deal.
The ex-striker said – via TuttoCagliari: “I was on holiday at a tourist village with Matteo Villa, and I got a phone call from reception. I said, ‘Matteo! Don’t make me go up there,”
“And then I actually went to answer, and it was president [Massimo] Cellino who told me to return to Cagliari immediately because Arsenal, represented by Arsene Wenger’s manager, were coming to pick me up on a private jet to go to London.”
Muzzi indicates Cagliari were keen on selling him and were happy to see the deal go through.
But the player himself had other ideas, which didn’t leave the Sardinian side happy.
He said: “President Cellino was furious when I refused, but I had a small child and, after discussing it with my wife, I decided not to go.”
He also noted that this was during an era where Italian footballers didn’t go to England.
“At the time, this modus operandi of going to play in England didn’t exist yet. Only a few people had decided to go, like Zola, Festa, and a few others.”
Deal could’ve been historic
Muzzi himself points out that Italian players were quite hesitant on moving to England during the 1990s and 2000s. The trend has now changed but if Muzzi had joined Arsenal, he could’ve been a bit of a pioneer.
His maverick-like skillset would’ve actually caught on quite well in England, where players of that ilk thrived in that era.
However, the way Muzzi’s career went wasn’t bad at all. He ended up becoming a part of Cagliari’s furniture post-retirement and also worked closely at several roles at Roma, the club where he initially came through as a youngster.
