Zoff: 'Gascoigne my biggest regret'

By Football Italia staff

Former Lazio boss Dino Zoff claimed watching Paul Gascoigne “throw away his art” was the “biggest regret of my career. My heart cried for him.”

The World Cup winner coached the former England international in Rome and admitted Gascoigne made him “crazy with rage” during their time together.

“I was desperate. He was a great artist who lost his art,” Zoff told Rai Radio 2. “I have always admired the artists, the ones who are the creators. The goalkeeper creates nothing.

“He made me crazy with rage, I was sorry for him, he threw away his art in a bad way.

“My heart cried for him. Already at that time it was clear he would have problems when he stopped playing. It was a logical consequence. It may make everything worse to stop when you are at the peak of your career.”

He remembers when they returned after a summer break and Gascoigne had put a lot of weight, saying he couldn’t recognise the player.

“One year he returned to the training camp having put on 12 kgs. He showed up with a ponytail and an extra 12kg. I was desperate. When I saw him arrive at the training ground, I asked who that character was. It was Gascoigne. It’s the biggest regret of my career."

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