MILAN - "A man gradually identifies himself with the form of his fate." If what Latin American author Jorge Luis Borges memorably wrote is true, few men were able to shape their own destiny like Ramon Angel Diaz.
Diaz was an awkward customer and famously unfriendly towards River's great rivals Boca Juniors in Buenos Aires' Superclasico yet he was also the archetypal centre forward. He was quick on the ball and had a fabulous first touch despite the physicality of Serie A's defenders in the 1980s. He had that natural goalscoring instinct of the great number 9s.
He spent almost all of his life chasing, harrying and trying to get past people. The first in his sights were Angel Labruna and Diego Armando Maradona. He overtook the former, who he had looked up to during the early part of his career at River Plate, in terms of trophies won with Los Millonarios (seven to Labruna's six). With the latter, meanwhile, he beat the USSR in the final of 1979 Under-20 World Cup as Argentina came from behind to lift the trophy. Diaz won the tournament's golden boot, while Maradona was voted the competition's best player.
Shortly after that, Ramon moved to Italy, joining Napoli. His reserved nature contrasted with such a passionate fanbase who were unwilling to accept a bad season like the 1982/83 campaign. When they criticised him for a lack of cutting edge and not being good enough in the air for his position, he replied: "Your head is not important, you need it to think about how to play football." To shake off the tag of sullen striker he made a fresh start at Avellino, following in the footsteps of Juary, who had just joined Inter.
It was at Fiorentina, however, where he was most fondly thought of, as he played alongside a number 10 who was almost completely Argentine but for his birth certificate - Roberto Baggio. The pair enjoyed two magical seasons with the Viola, improving an average squad albeit without bolstering the trophy cabinet. Yet, thanks to a mix of ability and craftiness, he enjoyed some great personal triumphs, including away wins over Sacchi's AC Milan and a Juventus side featuring Cabrini, Laudrup and Scirea.
It all made for a decent career for a man who signed for the Nerazzurri in 1988 in yet another dramatic twist. President Ernesto Pellegrini dreamed of buying Algerian Rabah Madjer for Giovanni Trapattoni but the move fell through after the player failed a medical following a muscle tear. The Milan club then asked to sign the South American on loan, much to the bemusement of fans and the media alike.
The gamble, however, paid off and finally Diaz started to show his true potential. Trapattoni crafted the ideal foil for Ramon in the shape of Aldo Serena, as the side dubbed "record-breaking Inter" took 58 points from 34 games en route to the 1988/89 Scudetto. Diaz ended the season with 12 goals and another dozen assists. He scored with his head, from the spot (in the Coppa Italia and UEFA Cup), with both feet (even though his preferred side was still his left), power and accuracy, showcasing a centre forward's full repertoire.
It didn't even matter that his late-found maturity didn't prove enough to earn a permanent move due to limitations on the number on foreign players. He still did enough to become a fans' favourite at Inter, setting the club on the road to success after a nomadic career.
Aniello Luciano
