Rome, 8 February (LaPresse) – ‘It was an honour, a wonderful moment. And I found our president in great shape.’ This is how Valentino Rossi, in an interview with Corriere della Sera, commented on his meeting with the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella to shoot the film that effectively opened the Olympics. "I hoped that our journey through this magical Milan by night would be appreciated. Of course, knowing today that the Milan-Cortina opening ceremony was seen by more than 2 billion people around the world makes me really happy. I received an avalanche of messages from my friends, everyone seems happy to have witnessed a successful surprise,‘ he added. ’Everything was done in secret because it was important that nothing was known before the broadcast on the evening of the ceremony. For some parts, they had already done everything using stand-ins, then it would be our turn,' says Rossi. 'I arrived on time, wearing my tram driver's uniform, complete with hat, and shortly afterwards the president arrived, preceded and followed by his escort. They filmed the part with the girls losing their soft toy on the tram first, with the president picking it up, then our meeting. Wow, I was really excited because Mattarella is a symbol for me, a person who exudes positivity and respect, rightly loved by everyone. So, having this elderly, wise, illustrious gentleman in front of me meant dealing with a certain aura.‘ ’I introduced my partner, Francesca, to the president, and she was also very excited. Mattarella shook her hand and said, 'Best wishes. We laughed, even though I don't know how to interpret such a wish… then he asked me how we were doing in the World Championship. How Bagnaia was doing. I reassured him, telling him that it would be tough but that Pecco seemed motivated and ready for a great season. And he said, “Good, so can we beat these Spaniards? Great,” he concluded.