Toldo & Manuela - their love story

Manuela will be married in a week.

On July 9, Manuela will become Mrs. Toldo:

"We started going out a year and a half ago, he never told me who he was. I discovered who he 
was when I saw him on T.V.  He's an original, like all goalkeepers. I know he will fill my life."

Anvers (Belgium) - How beautiful life is for someone called Manuela Garibaldi who in nine days 
will become Manuela Toldo. Toldo's girlfriend, and in a few days, this beautiful Padova girl, 
with her green eyes, will become the wife of our newest National hero.

The morning after Amsterdam, Manuela along with the rest of the player's families arrived at 
Grobbendonk to spend some time with their loved ones before the finals.

We have to say that if happiness has a face, that face would be that of Manuela.

Here Manuela tells us, in an amusing way, her love story.

"I used to work in a lingerie store, where one day at noon on a Monday I saw this tall young 
man who walked in front of the store several times. He came in and walked straight to where I 
was. Francesco is very direct. He told me that he didn't want to buy anything, that he just 
came in for me.

We started going out, and me being a soccer ignorant, didn't know who he was. It never crossed 
my mind that he could have been a famous goalkeeper. So, it was on a Sunday at lunch time that
my father, who knows about soccer, was watching some soccer news on T.V., at that very moment 
they were transmitting an interview of Toldo. When he was called Francesco, it eliminated any 
doubt I had of his identity.  That's the man I'm going out with, I said. My father asked me: 
"You are going out with Francesco Toldo?" Everything became clear to me, that's why we couldn't 
go to the movies on Sundays, that's why he avoided crowded places.

After a time, I moved to Florence. We live in a beautiful house in Bagno a Ripoli (a suburb of
Florence-ed). We go out frequently with a couple that has nothing to do with soccer and also 
with Bressan and his wife. We live a very tranquil life. I'm very happy, Francesco is a very 
positive man, you can observe this by just looking at him when he's preparing himself to stop 
a penalty.  Just by looking at him you can tell how it will end, everyone is nervous while he 
is smiling.

Yes, he can be very stubborn at times, but I have come to understand that in his work this is a 
good characteristic. And as we all know no one is perfect. This stubbornness helps him to face 
the most difficult moments. With his body he can fill the goal, with his love, he will fill my 
life.

Taken from "Gazzetta dello Sport", 2000-07-01
By: Paolo Condo
Translated by: Mari