"That evening, during the pre-season training camp, when I left without telling anyone, I risked causing a complete breakdown in our relationship. After dinner, I had wandered away from the hotel and returned at midnight. President Pellegrini had turned up at the hotel unexpectedly to say hello, and I wasn’t there. The next morning you didn’t even glance at me, and speaking to the team in the changing room you said: ‘Aldo has shown a lack of respect to me, to you and to the president, and he will pay a fine he will remember for the rest of his life.’ You didn’t speak to me face to face for over a month. You had ‘suspended’ me.
Then one Saturday evening you came into my room and I sensed a kindly look on your face. The corners of your lips were turned up slightly and there was a hint of a smile. You asked me: “Why, Aldo? Why did you do this to me?” And I replied: “I was wrong, coach, I have no excuses; I was going through a complex, difficult time in my life.” Then came the absolution: ‘You could have spoken to me, told me what was going on, and perhaps I would have given you permission. Now let’s put this behind us and look ahead.’"