How good was Gianluca Festa?

TheBlueButterfly

TheBlueButterfly

Well-known member
Just reading the conversation on the managers thread about Festa signing. Remember loving him when he was here but my minds a blank as to how good he actually was? My mate says to this day he would have been better in midfield but he's probably talking sh!!te.

Also remember him being in to martial arts, only drinking water/milk and his boot brand...
 
He definitely wasn't a midfielder. A solid centre half who would put his body on the line is how I remember him. Played with passion too.

The boots were A Line. I remember quite a few of our players wearing them at the time, Ricard, Karembeu. I remember getting a pair myself as a teenager from the old McGurk Sports shop in the Parkway Centre. One of the best pairs of boots I ever had. So comfortable.
 
He was better than the other defenders that we had at the time, but not as good as the likes of our very best central defenders like Southgate, Woodgate who came later.

He had a bit of a spark about him, which I liked and made him popular with many fans I think.
 
I'd say under rated. I doubt he gets a mention when someone asks 'name 15 Boro CBs'.

A proper 'hard' CB. You don't see many of that type these days. That said also a very good defender. So 'hard' is underplaying it.

I actually owned a Festa 5 shirt. I wish I still had it 😂
 
An Italian defender. It’s probably possible to stop at that. They all tend to be good.

My memories of him are a player of bravery, passion and power. Didn’t Boro sign him from Inter? That shows the pedigree.
 
Who did he punch on the sly jumping up for a header breaking their nose after they’d caught him with a sneaky elbow?

Was it his debut as well?
 
Festa was a top class CB, he really was every bit quality. I rated him up there with the best we have had, certainly in the top 5 centre backs since Big Jacks days. He scored goals, I think he scored on his debut, can’t remember who it was against mind. Physical, used his nous, always committed, the type of guy you’d want alongside you in the trenches.
 
Step up from Derek Whyte, Phil Whelan and Steve Vickers.

Although he did struggle to get into the team under Steve Mclaren (When Soughgate and Ugo were bought) and was loaned out to Pompey into what is now the Championship.
 
Italians are taught to defend roughly the same time they’re taught to use a potty.

As Maldini famously said, “If I had to make a tackle, I’d already made a mistake”
 
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