There was only one person in the centre circle of Wembley Stadium for the European Championship final between Italy and England. There was a moment of quiet before the storm. It's a moment to think.
The journey to this point had been an amazing one.
This venue had a long history with it's owner. The FA Cup, League Cup and Charity Shield were all won by the club after they lost the European Cup final.
He had been away from football roles for two decades.
Just a few miles from his home in London, he was at Wembley to help an old friend and his countrymen create a piece of history.
Italy boss Roberto Mancini invited him to take on a leadership role with the team because he was his hero since the age of 14. To act as a mentor to both players and staff to bring his energy and enthusiasm to the camp.
The person accepted the proposal. It was an opportunity to support his "Goal Twin", as he and Mancini were called in their SamPDoria days, but also a chance to move into a new chapter of his life.
He had been fighting cancer. He was given the all-clear a little over a year before the Wembley final, but his return to football and work with Italy distracted him from his illness.
There were a lot of things to think about during those quiet moments.
He was back out on the grass around four hours later.
Italy prevailed in a penalty shoot-out after a hard fought battle. He couldn't bear to watch. He was facing away from the goal and had a bag of nerves.
He was full of joy and relief when the win was confirmed.
He has another big Wembley moment in his life. He achieved another great achievement in his career.
It would be his final triumph in football.
He announced his cancer was back five months later. He stepped away from his national team role in December to focus on his fight, which ended at the age of 58
The connection and affection he had for the club, the fans and the area was underscored by the fact that he died in west London. The feeling is mutual for the fans of the club. His name is sung to the tune of "Amore", he is an adorer at the bridge.
A European champion. A winner in Italy's top league. He has four Italian Cup to his name. The player with the most money in the world. By the summer of 1996, he was a part of the team.
He had been a teen sensation at Cremonese, firing them up the leagues, before he and Mancini provided the goals to deliver five major trophies to Sampdoria.
After a record-breaking switch to the Italian club in 1992, he avenged his personal pain by winning the European title.
He was a member of the team of the tournament at Euro 88.
In the wake of his passing, it will be foremost in the minds of English football fans the time that he spent with the club.
That is in part due to an inward-looking culture but also a testament to the revolutionary role the player played during the late 1990s.
There was a lot of foreign players during that time. The number of players from outside of the UK and Ireland in the league increased by more than a third in the previous year.
He was one of seven Italians in the division at the time.
The imagination was captured by the charismatic personality and distinctive look of the player.
His run-ins with a player-manager caught the attention of the media. A falling out between the two led to the forward being given just a few minutes of game time at the end of the 1997 FA Cup final, even though he scored two goals.
He had clashed with a coach before. After rumors of a prank, Arrigo Sacchi didn't pick him again for international duty in 1992.
His big personality was part of his charm and, besides, he would have the last laugh at Chelsea, picking up the mantle from Gullit as player-manager himself in February 1998, and capitalising on the progress his predecessor had made.
It's no wonder the fans fell in love with him. The trio of "il Tricolore" were carving out their place in the history of the club.
After shining for Italy's U21s and then topping the Serie A scoring charts at the ripe old age of 20 years old, it's no wonder that he's been a star for a long time. He was able to learn quickly in the coaching game as well.
He was just 33 years old when he became the youngest manager to win a title. In 1998/99.
The season started with a Super Cup win over Real Madrid and ended with a third place finish in the league.
It was a feather in the cap for the first Italian manager in the premier league, but he wanted more He talked about the team's title ambitions before the season started and they ended up winning the title. They finished four points behind Manchester United.
During his first full season in charge of the club, he was rewarded for his good work with the first ever qualification for the European Championship.
He retired at the age of 35 after scoring 10 goals in 20 appearances, including a goal against Derby on the final day of the season. 35 percent of his goals came when he was managing the team, and that was goal number 40 in his 83rd game.
His legend in west London was further enhanced by his FA Cup final victory against Villa and a memorable first leg win over Barcelona.
The Charity Shield was claimed by the two people. The last club game played at the old Wembley was the fifth and final trophy of his short but successful time as a manager. In 1999/00 he was dismissed after a slow start to the campaign.
Although he was able to recreate the magic during a season in charge atWatford, his managerial career faded away as he moved into the world of media and business.
His illness gave him a clear view of life. He referred to cancer as his "unwanted travel companion" in an interview. "I have to travel with my head down, never giving up, hoping that one day this unwanted guest will get tired and leave peacefully, because there are still so many things I want to do in this life."
Maybe when he stood in the middle of that Wembley pitch, he appreciated the chance he had been given, with respite from his illness, to help Italy to a first European title since 1968.
He wanted to have a bigger impact on how he dealt with the disease.
"Maybe I was a footballer and a strong man, but also fragile and vulnerable at the same time, so I think someone may have recognised themselves in this."
I'm here because I want to do something important, but also because I have a lot of flaws.
As a player and player-manager, he was one of the top performers in the game. His battle with cancer made him an inspiration for those on and off the pitch.
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