The former defender climbed with Cagliari Calcio from the lower leagues all the way to Serie A and even into Europe — but when the big moment arrived, he admits he wasn’t ready.
“When I first reached Serie A, I wasn’t prepared,” Sanna says. “I had to force myself to adapt. The level was so high.”
It was baptism by fire in the early 1990s — and the man who threw him in was the legendary Carlo Mazzone.
“He made me debut in Serie A. On the pitch he was like a lion in a cage.”
This was 1992 — before data, before analytics, before modern scouting systems. Yet Mazzone knew everything.
“He described every opponent in detail. Even a kid making his debut the week before — he knew how he turned, how he headed the ball. Incredible preparation.”
Off the pitch? A gentleman. On it? A warrior.
For Sanna, that mix built him — not just as a player, but as a man.