Fabio Fazio remembers Idris: “He represented the beautiful face of football”
“Idris was a gift.” This is how Fabio Fazio wanted to remember Edrissa “Idris” Sanneh, journalist and historical face of “Quelli che il calcio”, who died last Friday 4 August in Brescia, at the age of 72.
In a letter to La Stampa, Fazio recalled the times of the program he conducted from 1993 to 2001: “it was a program in which for the first time fans could be sincere and remind everyone that football is actually above all a game . Idris interpreted that spirit very well with his overwhelming sympathy, his incredible humanity never separated from the commitment he reserved for his Africa, for his land and for his brothers. We talked about football and immigration and football became a meeting point between different cultures”.
Before becoming one of the most loved guests of “Quelli che il calcio”, Idris had worked for years as a journalist in local broadcasters, until he won the Star 90 program for new talents on Canale 5. Originally from Gambia, he had reached Italy in 1972, thanks to a scholarship at the University for Foreigners of Perugia, after having begun his studies in Senegal.
“He was the first black fan to appear on Italian television. A fact that is not at all obvious, almost revolutionary. We all remember him for his genuineness, for his Juventus supporter who never reserved even one unpleasantness for his opponents ”, wrote Fazio.
“I want to remember him above all for his generosity, for his sincere friendship and for the affection that there was between us”, he continued. “Idris represented the beautiful face of football: the most authentic and irrepressible one but only for the duration of the match. Idris, I was saying, was a great friend and a point of reference for his family to whom I send my warmest regards and a sincere hug”.
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