WORDS OF WISDOM IN MONACO
HM: What has improved and what has worsened in the world of
football?
AC: Unfortunately, human feelings have come down, recently. Once
the relationship between the sports agent and the footballer was
tight and there were exchanges at any moment of the day, even at
night if there were doubts. Today, everyone who works in the football
«industry» is almost considered as a robot. Even talking is often
envisaged as a waste of time. Of course, this is the result of this society
projected towards an over-use of smartphones to communicate
even if you are sitting side by side with your speakers. Sometimes, it
is hard for me to accept it but I have always been open to novelties,
being in contact with new generations. You see, I couldn’t feel old,
even if I wanted to.
HM: Nowadays, footballers
earn a lot of money,
what is your relationship
with money?
AC: I have never considered
wealth as a goal. My
principle has always been:
I don’t want to be rich but
I must never miss anything.
Richness, in fact,
never means wellness.
Therefore, I never forget
my origins from a village
in the province of
Naples. My father was a
baker and I made initial
trading early in my career. Then, someone brightened my mind,
putting my skills into practice. My life changed completely but
I have never stopped working. As a matter of fact, in this very
moment I am interviewed by you in my Monaco headquarters.
What better treasure than this!
HM: Do you think that money can make you happier?
Antonio Caliendo introducing his historical photo gallery of legendary
footballers
AC: Having money definitely helps. Someone says «money doesn’t
make happiness»
but if you don’t
succeed in having
a welfare state, you
could become unhappy
or envious
of those who have
more than you.
Nevertheless, if you
focus on yourself
and try to do your
best the perspective
of life changes.
On my side, I admire
who is more
talented than me
since I believe that
each of us, indivi-
Antonio Caliendo,
showing the 2019
Golden Foot Award designed
by Marco Molinario,
Monaco jeweler
Antonio Caliendo, special guest at HelloMonaco WOW
interview
If you focus on yourself
and try to do your best
the perspective of life
changes.
dually, has his own intelligence. Thus, I can’t stand anyone who
envies my life.
HM: Do you have any favoured model in life to refer to?
AC: Ideas that come out of my mind have always been my reference
point. Achieving them is my mission. Nevertheless, every time I read
about a man of success I always try to enter into his shoes, trying to
feel human empathy made of joys and sorrows. So, I did with Donald
Trump, current president of United States. From his biography,
you can tell that his life wasn’t always easy. That is part of his inner
ego that he doesn’t show in public.
HM: Do you consider yourself a successful person, and if yes what
does success mean for you?
AC: That is a clever question… but I don’t consider myself a successful
story. I am just a normal lucky person able to have good
ideas and careful assessments. If what I do has a value depends on
what other people think of me. And they are usually excited by my
achievements.
HM: What makes you happy and when did you feel happy last
time?
AC: That is not a simple-minded question. When I wake up in the
morning my first thought usually goes to those who are in troubles.
Then, I start working as I am used to doing, always with the
aim at helping others who need it. That makes me happy. I never
forget life’s difficulties I experienced myself, after all. Anyway,
we should all feel happy only because we haven’t tested a third
world war, so far.
32 / Hello Monaco Spring–Summer 2020
www.hellomonaco.com