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God Is a DJ
Christian Vieri: Italy’s joint all-time World Cup goalscorer speaks to SunSport about reinventing himself as a DJ
ITALIAN football legend Christian Vieri was once the world's most expensive player when Inter Milan paid Lazio £32m for his services.
And the battering-ram of a centre forward still holds the record for most goals in a World Cup for Italy - 9 strikes like Azzuri heroes Paolo Rossi and Roberto Baggio.
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But after retiring in 2009, Vieri moved to Miami, starred in Italian movie Picasso's Face as Ivan Drago of Rocky fame, became a pundit for beIN Sports, launched his own charity beach football tournament called the Bobo Summer Cup and has two fashion labels.
There was also a stint on the Italian version of Strictly Come Dancing in 2012.
However, it's his latest venture that he hopes will have fans running to the dance floor. At the age of 45, Vieri is now a club DJ.
Performing with his group Bobo, named after his childhood nickname, he remixes Barry White, ABBA and other 1970s jams, playing their hits alongside current house music favourites.
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Vieri's now getting booked to play around Italy's top clubs and is getting calls all over Europe.
He made his debut in Padova on October 27 with his posse that features pal Andrea Guidi working on the decks with him, as well as a live singer and trumpet player.
"My friend Andrea, who worked at clubs in Italy for most of his life, had always wanted to DJ together," Vieri told SunSport EXCLUSIVELY.
"I used to always say no to him, because I didn't think it was the right time.
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"Last summer I spoke with him again and said let's try and do something.
"I was inspired after I went to Ibiza with my girlfriend to the Ushuaia club and saw DJ Andrea Oliva.
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"We listened to music with him and I said to my girlfriend (Costanza Caracciolo), 'let's have some fun, let's try and do this.'
"I called up Guidi and said I want to DJ, but I don't want to do it on my own. I want it to be something a little different.
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"I didn't think it was good enough an idea to do myself, so we set up the Bobo DJ show.
"We have a music producer, Luca Cassani. We choose all the music together.
"I have a singer, she's called Lara Caprotti. And then I have Stefano Serafini playing trumpet. The trumpet sounds amazing live in a club.
"The show's very different. It's music we like, house music, and we're touring around Italy and starting to get calls from all over the world.
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"It's fun and that's the most important thing."
Incredibly, Vieri only learned how to DJ three months ago. He's been practicing ever since.
"Every day I'm learning stuff," he said. "I started back in August with a DJ friend and since then I've been practicing and taking lessons every day.
"I've been dedicating a lot of hours to it. It's very hard, but when you start something new from scratch it's never easy.
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"I've always had music in my life. When I went running, I would put music on. Even before games I'd have music on."
So, what can punters expect from a Bobo DJ set?
"I like remixing Barry White and ABBA songs. I like to include a bit of 70s music and a bit of what's popular now.
"We have a nice hour and a half set - so it's definitely not boring.
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"Playing music and playing football are two different worlds for me. My passion and life was football for 25-30 years, since I was a kid.
"You have to retire sooner or later. I work with beIn Sports, so I still have my foot in the door of football.
"I like to do new things too, I like competition and I like to learn. That's why I did Strictly Come Dancing in Italy.
"I wanted to learn 15 or 20 dance moves, so when there's music I can dance. I did that for four months.
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"Then I did another show in Italy with ex teammate Marco Delvecchio, where we went around the world and learned to dance.
"Now I'm learning about the music industry and how to DJ. I always look at things positively. I do all things where I have fun, if I don't have fun I don't do them.
"But I want to take it step by step with my DJing, learn more and get the show perfect.
"We're talking with a lot of people from overseas, so let's see what happens.
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Christian Vieri performs the boogie-woogie on Italy's version of Strictly Come Dancing
"I'm enjoying my life. Next week I'm going to be a father. I'm having fun with my girlfriend, with my friends, working and taking it easy day-by-day."
In terms of his musical influences, Vieri keeps it patriotic and supports fellow countryman, superstar DJs Marco Carola and Domenico Scavone.
"Marco Carola, he's a very good friend of mine," he revealed. "He works with Domenico Scavone. Those guys are great, I love what they do.
"Andrea Olivia, we are friends too. I live in Miami, and when I get a chance to see all of them play I do because they are amazing DJs that I can learn from."
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Vieri's footballing credentials cannot be argued with. He enjoyed his most successful club years at Inter Milan, and scored a commendable 29 goals in 32 games for La Liga side Atletico Madrid.
But it was with the Italian national team at the World Cups in 1998 and 2002 where he shone the most.
Vieri scored five goals in his first World Cup, four in his second where Italy were eliminated in a shock result against South Korea in the last 16.
"When I was growing up in Australia my dream was to play in Serie A and for the national team," he told us.
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"I think when you play for your country, in whatever sport it is, that's the biggest accomplishment in the world.
"When I put that blue shirt on it was f****** crazy. In the World Cup I couldn't breathe. I really had a hard time catching my breath.
"Before normal games I was always relaxed. But at the World Cup for Italy my heartbeat was always going a lot quicker.
"I could feel it, it was the tension and playing in the World Cup was just a dream come true."
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Back in 1999, Vieri's transfer from I Biancocelesti to I Nerazzurri broke records as the most costly ever.
Since then, that fee has been smashed - with some arguing that transfer and salary caps should be introduced.
Vieri is adamant that should NEVER happen.
"No one's putting a gun to the club's heads," he said.
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"They have the money, they do the math and they will buy whatever they want. Now, it's a big market, not only for winning titles, but selling shirts, tickets for games and rights.
"Big clubs have to buy big players, that's how it is and how it has always been. You can't have a salary cap."
With his bruising style of play, Vieri would've been the perfect focal point for any Premier League club during his heyday.
And he revealed to SunSport he nearly came close to playing on these shores back in 2004 after talks with a famous London team.
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"Chelsea, we spoke," he divulged.
"I think it was around 2004 when Sven-Göran Eriksson was supposed to go there as manager.
"I was with him at Lazio, so we were speaking. But, in the end, I was happy at Milan and we didn't do anything.
"But the Premier League is hard physically. It's easier in Italy, because you don't get hit that much!"
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Raised in Australia, Vieri grew up a cricket fan and idolised Aussie batsman Aussie batsman Allan Border.
"You grow up with cricket living in Australia, and I was an all-rounder," he said.
"I think if I didn't play football, I would've been the best tennis player in the world or best batsman in the world."
And with the dedication Vieri shows in whatever he wants to achieve, we don't doubt that.
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