"Today I'm at peace. I've decided to say goodbye to football. Even if I'm still leaving a small door open. Who knows, you never know. But for now, I'm fine with it." Just over a hundred days before his contract with Cagliari expired on June 30th, Leonardo Pavoletti announced the end of his professional career, although—as he himself stated—it may not be his final decision. He did so in a long letter published on Gianluca Di Marzio's website, where he retraces his journey through the world of football, full of great victories and disappointments.
"A new chapter in my life has begun," says Pavoletti, who is currently starting the sporting director course at Coverciano. "Sometimes I get impatient; I'd like to know how it's going to end, to read the end of that chapter. But life has taught me patience." He dwells at length on his nine years with the Rossoblu: " Cagliari is home. It's the feeling of having found your place in the world and not needing to look elsewhere . Cagliari is the very embodiment of the Sardinian people."
In his long letter, Pavoletti elaborates on one of his fondest memories, the 94th-minute goal against the San Nicola: "Bari, June 11, 2023. If we win, we'll return to Serie A. I was waiting for nothing else, but Ranieri is keeping me on the bench. That damned bench, like when I was a kid. I'm pissed off. Time is ticking, 0-0. I don't come on until the 89th minute. But life has taught me, every minute can matter. I've trained for this. Cross from the right, I get there before anyone else. 0-1, we're in Serie A. Everything summed up in 5 minutes. 5 minutes ."
