Former Milan team doctor: Everyone opposes Van Basten s surgery, Gulit jokes with me after being bitten by a dog

Former team doctor at Milan Club Rudy Tavano talked about Van Basten, Gulit and Casano in an interview.

Van Basten retired from injury at the age of 30, and you objected to his ankle surgery, I opposed his first surgery, performed by Dr. Marty in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Dr. Martens then performed surgery to repair the injury. Van Basten also wrote in his own book, and the surgeon told him that he would be able to return to the court within two months of the operation, and he believed the doctor. But at the Milan Club, everyone opposed him to undergo surgery and I kept on until the end. Dr. Marty wanted surgery to clean the cartilage, but I told Van Basten that there was no need for surgery. But in the end I couldn't convince him, and I'm sorry, because he could have contributed two or three years of exciting football to himself and us.

Van Basten is a natural athlete and when he enters the golf course he reaches the level of handicap level 3. Another time he went skiing, which he had never done before, but after a day of training, the coach told him that he could ski, just as he had already received 20 ski classes. He was born to learn any sports well. Van Basten is still my biggest regret.

What is your deepest impression of Gulit?

One night he called me and said, "Doctor, I feel a little pain." It was the week of Milan's match against Naples on May 1, 1988 (that was also the match that Milan won the championship). I was very worried, so I told him, "Come to my house, it's on Novara Street." Gulit came, I checked him and found no serious problems. So I asked him to stay at my house for dinner, and one of the two mini dachshunds I had bit Goulit's calf and I disinfected the wound, and the matter ended here.

The next morning, Gulit limped at the training base with thick bandages on his feet, and he also said to me "Doctor, see what your dog does? I can't play against Naples." I walked to the locker room and thought that my Milan career was over and President Berlusconi would fire me. When I arrived at the stadium, I found Gulit coming out with a smile, without bandages. He said, "Doctor, it's just a joke!"

You have saved Casano's life

That was after Milan had just gone to Rome to play away. After arriving at Malpensa Airport, Thiago Silva came to me and said, "Doctor, Casano is not in good condition, he is a little confused." Dr. Mazoni and I immediately went to the parking lot to find Casano, who wanted to drive home by himself. We immediately performed a basic neurological examination for him, and some of the situation was wrong. I said to him "get in the car and let Dr. Mazoni drive and he will take you to the hospital." We don't know what the problem is, it might be anemia, and we have to deal with it as soon as possible to reduce the possible damage.

That night, Mazoni and Casano slept in the ward together, which was definitely not an easy night... The test results showed that this was a neurological problem caused by the heart. Casano underwent surgery, the problem was solved, and he was restored to participate. Casano thanked me in his own way and said to me, "In the parking lot, your authority has forced me to obey you." A few years ago, something similar happened to former Milan player Egidio Carloni. Fortunately, he escaped two disasters. When he was sick, he was driving and the car rushed out of the road, but he was saved.