Alessandro Buongiorno
Timeless
All previous editions of More Than, and almost certainly those to come, have been about portraying athletes with unique values and personalities and recognising in the meaning of this word the ability to stand out from the context through personality and style choices. The protagonists of More Than, as in the case of Alessandro Buongiorno, the guest of this issue, are "more than" thanks to a character that makes them "more than", not only on the pitch but also off it.
Full look ZEGNA
Full look ZEGNA
Full look ZEGNA
Alessandro Buongiorno represents precisely this new generation of Italian football, whose charisma makes them a point of reference for fans. The technical qualities are part of the journey, but the amazing thing is the aura that accompanies Alessandro as soon as he enters the room, in our case an elegant and historic club in Turin, where in the mid-19th century Camillo Benso Conte di Cavour, one of the most charismatic personalities in all of Italian history, went to relax and reflect.
Full look EMPORIO ARMANI
Full look EMPORIO ARMANI
Buongiorno is used to inhabiting spaces where the weight of history is felt. In Turin with the captain's armband, the responsibility has been great in recent years, even greater if possible in the national team, with an eye on EURO 2024 and the weight of four World Cups, two European Championships and an unrivalled tradition in defence. It is the attitude with which he carries this responsibility that makes the presence of the current Turin captain magnetic, a nonchalance that in fashion is the prerogative of elegance, understood in the most classic sense of the word. The city of Turin therefore lends itself to a special combination of sophistication and elegance. The true history of the city can be seen in the architecture of the buildings in the centre and in the signs, such as the one that can be seen from the window of the restaurant, which reads: "Vittorio Emanuele II was born here". This landscape must have influenced Buongiorno's style and mentality, because he admits: «What I like about Turin is that the city has a human scale, is not too big and chaotic, but offers everything you need. It's a very underrated city, as people tend to move to Milan, but I like it a lot, it gives me a lot of energy and has made me grow».
Full look DOLCE&GABBANA
Full look DOLCE&GABBANA
Full look DOLCE&GABBANA
“My relationship with the future is to focus on the present”
Full look BRIONI.
“My relationship with the future is to focus on the present”
Full look ZEGNA
Playing where you grew up, in contact with family and friends, helps to maintain stability and composure, especially for a young man who will be 25 years old when the national team's pre-European Championship training camp begins. After Luciano Spalletti's initial comments about seriousness and professionalism, it's no surprise that Buongiorno is the right man for this group: «My maturity and leadership qualities are, I think, an innate quality that I had to work on when I was younger. From the very first training sessions with the first team, I observed which players had the most charisma, so I tried to reproduce their behaviour. I realised that this desire to transfer confidence to my teammates was something that suited me. My family also helped me to develop this mentality.» The fact that Buongiorno treats leadership like a bespoke suit explains well how important this component is for him to express himself to the outside world and give off an accurate self-image, which Alessandro summarises as follows: «Wearing bespoke suits allows me to best represent my role off the pitch. I believe it's important to maintain a professional image: When I was younger, both my parents and the coaches I had told me how important it is to show professionalism and seriousness».
Style is used by Buongiorno without too much vanity, even if he is wearing Emporio Armani, Loro Piana, Zegna, Dolce&Gabbana or Missoni in the photos in this editorial. The focus is always on attitude and composure: «I like to dress elegantly, I don't want to give up wearing suits, jackets and shirts. For me, it's more about fashion than about brands, about taste and about how I position myself in situations so that my personality is expressed. I think everyone should have their own style, everyone finds themselves in what they wear, so I don't let myself be influenced by what I see».
Talking to Alessandro Buongiorno brings to light another quality that seems to be underestimated when considering what we call great players: adaptability, whether we're talking about roles, tactical contexts, dressing rooms or experiences outside of football. Alessandro explains: «Just as I adapt to different situations on the pitch, I do the same in everyday life. Changing from my playing clothes to customised clothing is a way of expressing different parts of my personality and approaching different situations with the right attitude.»
Full look MISSONI
One of the adjectives most often associated with classic fashion is "timeless", because its codes resist trends and eras without being caught up in the past and courted by the future. Even footballers, because of their rhythm and commitments, tend to remain anchored in the present, like Buongiorno, who spoke to nss sports about his relationship with the idea of the future. «My relationship with the future is to focus on the present. All I hope for from the future is that I can recognise that I gave my all, that I was professional, serious and honest. I don't want to regret anything, but I don't like to think about the details or the individual goal, I want to concentrate on doing well.»
In this context, Buongiorno refers to the difficulties of being a footballer: «The fact that you have no breaks, that you have to withstand a lot of external and internal pressure is not easy,» he says, «you need great mental strength.»
Full look MISSONI
Full look BRIONI
Full look LORO PIANA
In a living room in the centre of Turin, where time does seem to have stood still, the temptation to talk about the future leads us to focus on the Italian national team. The European Championship is the first major international tournament for Buongiorno in an Azzurri shirt, and that of the past reinforces the temptation to talk about the future: «When I stop and think for a moment, I realise how far I've come, how much commitment and dedication it took to play in a European Championship, or even just to be one of those called up. Maintaining this level will not be easy; it requires a lot of concentration and commitment and the desire not to give up, so it will be difficult.»
Buongiorno admits that in the meantime he hopes to be called up and then play, with the inevitable pressure that comes with being the defending champions. but «I think everyone will be motivated to do it. There's a great sense of responsibility from everyone, we'll be charged up and confident. Nobody is satisfied with having already won a European Championship, wearing the Azzurri jersey is an honour for many. There is nothing better.» Alessandro's gaze remains fixed on an indeterminate point and an indeterminate time, firm in a serenity that is perhaps exactly what is needed to remain anchored in the present, solid captains, young promises.
Photographer: Arianna Genghini
Photographer Assistant: Luciana Lorizzo
Stylist: Antonio Autorino
MUAH: Milena Frau
Interview: Tommaso Berra
