Edoardo Intorrella: a manager with Luiss in his heart

Former Luiss defender Edoardo Intorrella, a few years after graduating, is a brilliant career manager but he doesn’t forget his past on the field in a Luiss jersey. He told us about his best memories and gave precious advice to the young people who are now approaching the combination of sport and study.

Edoardo, what is the best memory of your career at Luiss?

It was October 2011 and we were playing in the Second Category against A.S.D. Saline. A sensational episode happened: their attacker ran over our goalkeeper, one of my teammates went to his defense and received a punch on the nose. The referee expelled both of them and we remained 10 against 10. At 90′, Paolo Signorelli touched the ball for the first time since the start of the match and scored. After only 20 days of knowing each other, we all found ourselves embraced in front of Pierluigi Celli, who was visibly excited. Ten years later, I still get chills from this game.

What did you learn from the Dual Career experience? Was it useful to you in the professional world?

Soccer has a fundamental virtue: it puts everyone on the same level. I would be hypocritical to say that knowing how to play the game is not an advantage in the professional world as well. In the morning you are an analyst for a consulting firm, in the evening you play with your colleagues, bosses and clients. On the field, no one cares about your “grade”: if you’re good, you contribute to the result and advise others on what to do to win.

Do you still have relationships with your former teammates?

With some more, with others, especially for logistical reasons, less. Those who have played soccer know that you never forget your team. One thing is for sure: if one day I were to find myself in the station in Milan, dressed to the nines, and I were to run into one of the boys, I would jump on him screaming like crazy.

You started playing with Luiss when it was in the second category, how does it feel to see the team in Excellence today?

I would like to share a message I wrote the night before the Italian Cup final, which gave us the promotion, to some of my former teammates who would have taken the field: “Today I will be in the stands, although I would like to be in the locker room to live every single minute with you. While you’re playing, don’t judge yourselves, don’t think about whether you made a mistake with a support or a throw. Don’t do it, because the head is the most important thing in soccer, and you are strong. I ask you to make an effort even when you don’t have the strength to make an extra run, forward or backward, but I don’t ask you to do it for me, I ask you to do it because playing soccer is the most beautiful thing there is. Come on guys, come on Luiss.”

Now that you’re a manager at a big company, do you still play?

Unfortunately, I stopped in 2014 when, due to work trips, I had to miss two out of three practices. I then continued, until 2018, to train and get to know the guys. Now I just play a few games with the old glories.

What do you feel like advising kids today who are approaching the Luiss world and Dual Career?

It’s the best choice there is. On a personal level, you are living the most carefree years of your life and, perhaps, you don’t realize it. Lose yourself in the beauty of the game of soccer and start measuring yourself in your studies. On a professional level, I would like to tell you that by approaching the world of Luiss you are already entering a professional network. You must know how to take advantage of the many opportunities it has to offer.