September 13th, 1999

The supporters applaud Toldo: "Francesco you are great"

by Alessandro Di Maria

He was applauded. The supporters understood and tried to encourage him. But it is not easy for 
Toldo to forget. He will carry last Saturday's mistake inside him for a long time. 
But at least there is everyone's willingness to help him get over this moment. His team-mates 
and his coach started immediately after the game, and so did the supporters as the trainings 
started again. The team got on the pitch a few minutes earlier than 11, they did the usual 
warm-up exercises before getting called by Trap for the beginning of the session. And it was 
then that a "Come on Francesco" came out of the terraces followed by the applauses of the about 
200 supporters that were there.
Immediately afterwards "Francesco, you are great" was shouted. Then the viola players were 
looked at in religious silence until Trapattoni oredered to break the lines. The coach himself 
talked again about the goalkeeper's mistake, trying to give him some advice: "I told Toldo that 
in my career I made a lot of mistakes and I even made some own goals, but I never lost heart 
because I am a reactive optimist".

Taken from La Repubblica
www.repubblica.it
English translation by Maddalena (www.acfiorentina.net/enricochiesa)