Livin'La Vida Loca

Let's start from the beginning: Where did Stefan Schwoch take his first footballing steps? I learned to play football in the ranks of Imperial Bozen, then at B youth age I moved to AC Trient, where I went through the remaining youth categories. I then took the plunge into Serie D, first playing alongside Roberto Sonato at Passer Meran and later at Benacense, where Ettore Pelizzari (now president of the Trentino Football Association, editor's note) was my coach. He was an important companion and quickly made it clear to me that the dream of becoming a professional player required a great deal of willingness.

The advice soon began to bear fruit: in 1989 you went scoring goals with Spal in the C2 series... At my youth club in Trento, I was drilled with a healthy dose of willpower and was, so to speak, prepared for this path. Of course, the C2 series was a different world, which was clearly shown to me as I played a class lower again in the following two years, but there I made a repeated leap up with many goals (30 goals, editor's note). managed.

In the 1994/95 season they scored 2 times for Livorno (C20) and thus paved their way into higher football circles: with Ravenna they won the C1 and then contested the Serie B championship. Was that the final breakthrough? Luckily, my goal tally was often in the double digits, which is why every championship was special. The 20 goals in Livorno were certainly an important building block in my career, but when I think back, the year in Napoli was the most important of all.

It was certainly one of the most successful: in the winter of 1999 you came to Campania, the following season you shot Napoli into Serie A: What does it mean to play for Napoli and also be a fan favorite like you were? What I experienced in Napoli was unique in my entire career. Playing at the Stadio San Paolo, and in front of such a rabid crowd, can hardly be described in words. The Neapolitan fans love it when they see that the players play with heart and passion for the club. That wasn't a problem for me as I was in love with this club from the start. In the promotion season from Serie B and Serie A, I was the most accurate player in the team and also prepared the most goals. Napoli have given me a lot, so I hope that I was able to give something back to the club, the city and the fans with my performances.

Speaking of Napoli: your former club is currently fighting for the championship title. Do you think he can do it? Napoli has a very strong team in front of them in Juventus Turin. But hope is still there. I think it's very difficult to win a championship like this. But with or without a coronation: Napoli, driven by an otherworldly Higuain, is playing an outstanding season. You have to pay a big compliment to coach Sarri and his protégés.

Napoli seems to have been a love story of sorts. But you also conquered numerous hearts at Vicenza... Yes, that's right. At Napoli it was more of a “love at first sight” story, but at Vicenza the love grew continuously over the years. The white-red club is also a traditional club where I was able to experience wonderful moments. I also grew very fond of the city, which is why I live there with my wife today.

You were also sports director in Vicenza for a short time. A positive experience? When I was asked, I instinctively said yes. In hindsight, that was the wrong decision: I was inexperienced and in the end I felt like my role was more symbolic as I wasn't involved in technical matters.

After this event you are done with football. Is there still a door to the round leather hidden somewhere in your head that could be opened again in the future? You should never say never, but at the moment I can't imagine returning to the football business. Football is a world of its own in which you don't just get ahead based on your own earnings. That's why I concentrated on other things, completed a degree and am now a financial advisor. I like this path and I think I will continue on it in the future.

Many teams, many people, many goals - but is there anything in your career that you missed? I missed the Serie A appearances a little. There were many strikers in Serie B who scored fewer goals than me, but still got several and longer chances to prove themselves in the top league. Nevertheless, I am satisfied with my career path. I played for many prestigious clubs, won championships and scored often. I believe that I am even ranked first or second in the all-time Serie B top scorers list (second place if you include Giovanni Costanzo's 13 goals in the Serie BC Alta Italia championship of 1945/46, editor's note). Red.).

If you look at football in Serie A, you'll notice that Italian strikers rarely score in double figures anymore... In Italy they rely a lot on foreign attackers - this becomes particularly clear when you look at the strikers of the teams that are positioned at the top of the table. I think that the home attackers also have great potential. In order for them to be able to make the most of this, they also have to play regularly. I'll take Zaza from Juve as an example: if he played continuously, he would certainly be good for 20 goals per season.

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