“Giovanni wanted to play football for the local team but then he gave up. With the ball at his feet, he didn't show great talent. He discovered the world of horses and understood which was the way to go ".
The mayor of Nurri Antonello Atzeni reveals a detail concerning the fate of Giovanni Atzeni , "Tittia" , who on Saturday evening, riding Uncle Frac, horse from Pozzomaggiore, led the contrada del Drago to victory at the Palio di Siena , that of resumed after two years of painful interruption due to Covid.
"Tittia" wanted to be a footballer but then gave up to face the challenge that ensured priceless satisfaction. Fatigue, sacrifices and hard training led him to conquer the eighth success in Piazza del Campo . A champion of the race that in Siena is such a consolidated tradition that it holds the spot, in the collective attention, every month of the year. Giovanni Atzeni was born in Germany where his father, originally from Nurri, had emigrated. Parents have returned to Nurri. The town of Sarcidano is the place of roots and family memories . He in Siena dedicates himself to the Palio and to the management of a company where he breeds horses for competitions.
Sister Gina followed the July 2 race on TV with her mother: “An indescribable joy. We live the Palio all year round with anxiety and trepidation. It has been like this for 17 years. Successes are never taken for granted. You have to be good and have a lot of luck. Giovanni is good and also lucky . We are proud and proud of him. I love my brother. I am delighted with his victories. He deserves these results. He worked hard and made many sacrifices ”. Immediately after the victory, Gina sent a text message to her brother: “It is very difficult to talk to him because he is busy with all the tiring tasks that come after the success of the Palio. I wrote to him: you deserve it. Thanks for the emotion you gave us. For me an emotion difficult to explain. The heart was beating fast. I lived through all the moments with great fear. When I saw him arrive first with his backbone, I cried with joy. It was a tough race. Every now and then a district would go away and I would say to my mother: it's not possible. What happens? Never seen such a thing. The anxiety grew. It is thought, the fewer districts in the race, the easier it is to win. This is not the case because those who remain double their efforts to reach the goal ".
“Tittia” has a special relationship with Nurri: “He has historical friends, schoolmates. He is very attached to his family, to the country and to Sardinia. We have not returned to the island for two years due to Covid. We hope to see him soon ".
The town is ready to celebrate its latest success: “We want to celebrate it in August, after the Palio dell'Assunta, with the hope that it will bring home 'the coat', the historic encore. We look forward to it with enthusiasm. We are very happy, for us it is a great source of pride. Giovanni is a 'champion' who has achieved his goals with a spirit of sacrifice and admirable tenacity ”, underlines the mayor Antonello Atzeni . Very skilled knights were born in Nurri: “A tradition that today renews many young people who make their way in a very competitive world. I remember Jessica Marcialis and Andrea Atzeni, brilliant protagonists on the world stage ”.
And then “Tittia” a missed footballer, now champion of the Palio di Siena.
