“Ancelotti, at that time, was like a father, a coach, a friend for me…” pronounces Cafú at the annual Sports Festival organized by La Gazzetta dello Sport in Trento. The former Brazilian footballer, who hung up his boots 14 years ago, was moved when he remembered how the Italian coach helped him get ahead in one of the most complicated moments of his life. “When I found out that my father had a cancer problem and was not feeling very well. And just… [se emociona]. I don’t like to talk about this because it comes out,” he says with glassy eyes. They both met at AC Milan, where they forged a friendship that still endures.
Cafú recounts how, the moment he found out that his father was suffering from a serious illness, he decided to go to Brazil after telling Ancelotti: “I told him ‘Mister, I have to go to Brazil.’ He called me [Ancelotti] and he asked me why… I told him that my father was not well, to which he replied that in a week we had a qualifying match for the Champions League in Milan”. The situation, delicate as it occurred with the season already started, led the former full-back for Milan, Rome and Zaragoza to travel to Brazil relatively frequently to take care of his father, who was sick with cancer.
Despite the complicated logistics, with AC Milan risking their participation in the highest continental competition, Ancelotti agreed and allowed Cafú to travel to Brazil: “I told him ‘mister, I’ll go in the morning, see my father and come back at night.’ He told me he was going to Brazil, 12 hours [de vuelo]I saw my father and had to play two days later. I told him yes, if he gave me permission, I would go. After, He told me that he would not talk to anyone, to any leader… ‘You go, see your father and come back; Then if you can play, fine… And if not, I’ll take care of it,’ he told me.”
Finally, Cafú managed to go to Brazil, return in time to suit up and assist in Milan’s 1-0 victory: “I went, I saw my father, I went to the hospital and I went straight back to Milanello. We did training in the morning and played in the evening. We won 1-0 and the assist was mine. “Ancelotti simply told me ‘go away, I’ll take care of it'”. In the talk, hosted by journalist Alessandro Alciato, the Brazilian full-back also spoke about Paolo Maldini (“he is the face of Milan and the history of the club”).
