The Press Conference on Thursday 9th October was the first act of the bridge event in Rome 2003: the 2nd edition of the Champions Cup. In the Parioli Tennis Club conference room the Champions of the Angelini Parioli team and delegates of the EBL, FIGB, CONI and the host club, answered questions from many journalists of the most important newspapers.

The Chairman of the Championship, Ercole Bove, and the Press attaché, Mabel Bocchi, were the brilliant hosts of the event, which was also covered from national and local television.

In their short opening speeches, the President of Parioli Tennis Club, the EBL President and the regional President of CONI, all underlined that this bridge competition is taking place in one of the temples of Italian sport, showing once again that bridge is a real sport. Then the debate began.

Among the most interesting answers given by the champions was that given by Francesco Angelini to a journalist who had asked him how he could combine both his very significant work and bridge commitments.

Angelini underlined how in bridge and in every human activity it is essential to be in harmony and friendly relations with everyone and he thanked “his boys” for their commitment, attitude and team spirit which give them the capacity to win in the national and international field.

One touching moment, which demonstrated the values of our discipline and impressed everyone, was when Benito Garozzo and Alfredo Versace were asked to compare the Legendary Blue Team with today’s champions. Garozzo said that, at that time, there were less strong teams than now and that to win today means much more than in the past. Versace said that the glorious era of Garozzo & Company was unrepeatable and, turning to the all-time great, said, “We have all been lucky to have had you as teachers and we would not exist today if you had not been there in the past.”