FOOTBALL4GOOD MAGAZINE - DECEMBER 2019

IN ADDITION TO YOUR CAREERS IN FOOTBALL, YOU HAVE BOTH EXCELLED IN THE ACADEMIC FIELD. GIORGIO, YOU RECEIVED A BACH- ELOR’S DEGREE IN ECONOMICS AND COMMERCE AND GRADUATED CUM LAUDE IN 2017 WITH AN MBA. ENIOLA, YOU HAVE A FIRST CLASS DEGREE IN LAW AND ARE A QUAL- IFIED BARRISTER. WHY IS EDUCA- TION IMPORTANT FOR YOU AND HOW DO YOU BALANCE THESE TWO WORLDS? ENIOLA: When I was playing semi pro it was a balancing act. I had to train three times a week and then work as a lawyer the other days. But now, as a professional, I’m obviously not work- ing full time as a lawyer. For me, law was always something that I wanted to do when I finished playing. It’s like a ‘Plan B’ to continue my career when I finish playing which, in sport, is really important. Understanding the commercial con- tracts, the governance of the game, analysis, all of those aspects are also easier because I studied as a lawyer. I think it’s really important to have another career to go into when you finish playing because football is such a short career. GIORGIO : I think as players we have the time to study. But we have to want it. It’s not easy because we live in a “gold world” and many times, we are not able to live the reality. For me, first of all, studying is a way to challenge myself. And secondly, it is important to me to train my mind and open my mind to understand what is happening in the world. I always loved to study. I grew up with the plan to go to university and I was lucky because I was able to play football and have this fantastic career. But when I was 16 or 17, my plan was to go to university and maybe do medicine like my father. I arrived in Turin when I was 22 and I read many thriller books, I had time. And I said “Why? I can use my time to go to uni- versity and study.” I finished the first three years in four years and then the Masters is more difficult and I finished in another seven years. In the end, I was proud of myself and it was also for my family. They are so happy about my choice and me reaching my target. ENIOLA : As footballers we definitely have a lot of time! GIORGIO : We have a lot of time, espe- cially when you are travelling a lot. ENIOLA : For me, I’ve never been one to play PlayStation and do nothing, I take the time to do something productive. GIORGIO : Before studying I played PlayStation! (laughs) And then, when you get older you and have chil- dren you have less and less time for yourself. My time is reduced so much because of my daughters, and when I have time now I want to spend it with them, but when you are alone, you are young and you have time, you can do what you want. It’s important to maintain the bal- ance, to do your job in the right way but also have some hobbies and there are things that can help you to train the brain. FC NORDSJÆLLAND, THE FIRST CLUB THAT JOINED COMMON GOAL, PLACES A STRONG EMPHA- SIS ON CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT IN THEIR ACADEMY AND BELIEVE THAT A BETTER PERSON IS A BET- TER PLAYER. DO YOU SEE THE CON- NECTION BETWEEN YOUR EDUCA- TION, YOUR PURPOSE AND YOUR PERFORMANCE ON THE PITCH? GIORGIO : For me, yes, sure. If you are clever, you arrive at the “100% of Beyond their profes- sional football ca- reers, both Giorgio Chiellini and Eniola Aluko have pursued university degrees. you” (the best version of yourself). The players who improve are the smart ones, the ones who work and improve day by day. This is difficult because, at 16, you can see a fantastic player but they don’t want to train, they don’t want to go to school, they sleep until 11 and you develop those habits and you can’t improve year by year. ENIOLA : I like this motto, because you need these characteristics in a team sport, you need to be humble, and you need to work hard. You need to be able to recognise when you are wrong, to improve. All of those things make you a good person outside of football, but also enable you to be a good teammate and also a good player. The ability to learn, always wanting to learn. You look at some- one like Ronaldo, always wanting to do better, do better, do better. And he’s at the top. So I think this is “FOR ME, FIRST OF ALL, STUDYING IS AWAY TO CHALLENGE MYSELF. AND SECONDLY, IT IS IMPORTANT FOR ME TO TRAIN MY MIND AND TOOPENMY MIND, TO UNDERSTANDWHAT IS HAPPENING IN THEWORLD.” Giorgio Chiellini Giorgio Chiellini and Eniola Aluko during their meeting in Turin. a good characteristic of a person, but sometimes I think what makes players really, really good is the devil inside them. Look at someone like Suarez – he plays on the edge. Ok, if he does this outside the pitch maybe you say he’s a bad person but you also need this. For me as a striker I need to feel ruthless. So yes, you need those characteristics, but you also need the competitiveness to have that fire inside you. GIORGIO : I am a defender and I need to have more fire than the striker. (laughs) I need to get there a little bit before the striker. In every step I need to be there a bit before. It’s a war in the mind and I have to understand what they are thinking and what they want to do. ENIOLA (smiling sheepishly): And the defenders sometimes are clever, they pull you and they kick you, so they are not always so nice. (both laugh) AS ATHLETES IN THE PUBLIC EYE AND WITH A LARGE FOLLOWERSHIP, YOUR ACTIONS AND WORDS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO INFLUENCE OTH- ERS. HAS THIS SHAPED THE WAY YOU THINK AND ACT? GIORGIO : Growing up and becoming older we can understand how we can be important for the young people. Now I think I can be more important than their parents, than their teach- ers. Sometimes just a word can influ- ence [them] more than many people in their lives. You have to think about it and to understand how important we are. We are “idols”. And what we say can impress so much the new generation. And our help is only a small thing in the problems of the world. But I think it helps the young 26 27 FOOTBALL4GOODMAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2019 ACONVERSATIONWITH GIORGIOCHIELLINI &ENIOLA ALUKO