Opening up to discuss some of the most difficult moments of his football career, Gigliotti recalls the hundreds of hate messages and a sense of guilt that haunted him for years after missing a penalty in a Superclasico in the Copa Sudamericana.
Did you always want to be a footballer?
"As a kid, I dreamed of football, but then I saw it wasn't very realistic. I played in Madrid and saw my teammates had other jobs: baker, bookseller, etc. For them, it was more of a hobby. I also thought it wouldn't happen for me. But I worked hard. My dad was key: he kept pushing me, always encouraging effort and sacrifice."
How did your first agent discover you?
"His name was Citterpilo, he worked for Jorge. I scored a lot of goals in Madrid in six months, and the coach (Tano Illuni) had contacts with him. That's when I signed. They started taking me to a gym, I trained with Ricky Álvarez and others who were already in the first division. That changed my perspective."
When did you realise you could make a living from football?
"When I signed that first representation. Until then, football was more of a hobby. I saved my first salary and after a few paychecks, I bought my first car."
Would you change anything about your career?
"No, it was amazing. But I would tell my 20-year-old self to work much more on details, like free kicks. It also would have helped to have the information kids have today: they even know how many grams they should eat. That didn't exist before. I trained two or three times a week in the lower leagues, while today the youth players at Boca or River train like professionals."
What was the moment you enjoyed the most?
"I enjoyed almost my entire career, especially as I got older. I really enjoyed my time at Boca, at San Lorenzo too (despite the tough times), and at Independiente when the team played well. Usually, as you get older, you enjoy everything: not just stepping onto the pitch, but also seeing the fans in the stands."
Did it hurt how you left Independiente?
"The decision was mine. I saw I was going to get fewer minutes than I wanted. Holan and I had different views at that time. But later, the relationship was restored, especially when my father passed away and he supported me. We rebuilt our bond."
That missed penalty and its consequences
What was the toughest moment of your career?
"When I left Boca, it wasn't the way I wanted. When I left Nacional, it wasn't the way I wanted either."
Why was leaving Boca so hard?
"Because at Boca, I was blamed for losing a match. It was the series against River in the Sudamericana. I hit a penalty off the post, and after that elimination, all the blame was put on me. It was easier to blame someone for losing than to admit the team hadn't been up to the task."
And did you feel responsible?
"No. Because if that penalty had gone in, we would have been in the final. But I hit the post. It's a football match, these things happen. But at Boca, with all the pressure, they looked for a scapegoat. As Maradona used to say, they made it seem like a match is lost because of a single action. And that's not true. Football is much more than that."
How long did that follow you in your career?
"At first, of course, it bothered me. I got hundreds of messages of all kinds. A journalist leaked my phone number and I had to change it. I never found out who it was. But over time, I learned to live with it. Many of us are remembered more for two bad weeks than for a whole career of goals. If I had helped Boca win the title, maybe it would have gone unnoticed. But that's what I got, and I dance to that tune."
And did people bring it up to you on the street?
"No, nobody ever said anything to me directly. When there are a few people together, someone might shout something, but never when alone. Once, in a club in Santa Fe, a drunk guy came up to me, but it was more for fun than anything else. Good thing it happened in China and not in Argentina, because it would have been a scandal."
And why was leaving Nacional tough?
"For the first time, I had a simple injury that took much longer than normal to heal. I never fully recovered. That meant I didn't get any minutes in my last six months. I never would have left that way. Still, the people at Nacional love me and I love them. My wife is more of a Nacional fan than any other team; she hates Penarol."
What is Luis Suarez like day to day?
"Phenomenal. You'd think a guy with four cups would be arrogant, but not at all. He used to make barbecues for the foreigners in Mexico, cooked with firewood, and his wife Sofía washed the dishes. He was very humble. We had a great time."
Which club was the most difficult to play for?
"In Argentina, Independiente. Abroad, Nacional and Leon. At San Lorenzo, I lived through a very tough time: there were salary problems, many young players couldn't pay their rent. The older guys helped the younger ones. That also happened to me at Colon, where I went several months without getting paid."
Do you have a jersey you treasure?
"The most special is one from Roberto Ayala, from Parma, back when the Italian league was the best in the world. Roberto is an outstanding person. I also have some of my own jerseys, but they're stored in suitcases. My wife made some frames, but they're hidden in the closet."
Which teammate do you miss the most?
"I miss the day-to-day of football, not playing itself. The rituals, the silly things with teammates. Once I got mad at Chino Recoba because he stood me up and I arrived 40 minutes late to training. The coach just laughed."
Tell me about your experience in China.
"It was fantastic, although at the time I missed my family. I came from Boca, where you were on every TV channel, and in China nobody knew who you were. China is a thousand years ahead technologically: buildings with coloured lights, everything connected. But they also had strange customs: babies wore open pants because diapers were expensive.
"I ate exotic things: turtle, snake, spider. The turtle tasted like regular meat, but the skin was disgusting, like the slime from a dirty kiddie pool. I wouldn't live there again, but I'd go back on vacation."
Are you a fan of any club?
"Not now. As a kid, I was a Boca fan, went to the stadium, and was a member. I used to sneak out with a cousin because my parents didn't like it. My grandmother was a fanatic: when she passed away, we found a piece of wall from the old Bombonera. When I played for Boca, I asked for my membership card again."
River Plate's interest
It's said that River Plate tried to sign you at some point. Is that true?
"Yes, it's true. I had the chance to go to River. But it was at a particular time: River had just been relegated to the B Nacional. It was a club in a very complicated situation, under a lot of pressure, and with a squad built to win the B and return to the top division."
And why didn't you want to go?
"At that time, River was in the B. It wasn't the River we know today. It was an uncertain project. If River had been in the top division, maybe I would have thought differently. But at that moment, from a sporting point of view, it wasn't the best option for me. I was coming off a good spell in the lower leagues and had other opportunities that seemed more solid."
Did the fact you were a Boca fan influence your decision?
"No, not at all. When you play football, you're 100% professional. There are no fan feelings holding you back. I never joined a club thinking about colours. My decision was always about football. If River had been in the top division and called me, I would have considered it like any other offer. But at that time, it wasn't the right moment."
Do you regret not going?
"No. I made the decision I thought was right at the time. Later, after playing for other clubs and feeling connected to some jerseys, out of respect for those clubs and their fans, I wouldn't have made a different decision either. But it wasn't because I was a Boca fan. It was a sporting and contextual decision."
Football in Mexico
What do you think of Mexican football compared to Argentine football?
"Mexican football is more about entertainment, they try to play more. Argentine football is more of a battle and a fight. The Mexican playoffs are exciting, but a single knockout match can be unfair. In Argentina, there are a lot of matches and the calendar is very packed."
Who is more demanding, Argentine or Mexican fans?
"Argentine fans are more passionate and tougher. Mexican fans enjoy it, but here the fans can be harsh. Sometimes they get angry if you greet an opponent, as if you can't have friends at other clubs. In Mexico, people are more relaxed."
Could a Mexican team win the Libertadores today?
"Today it's very difficult because the Brazilians dominate: they have the budget, squads of 50 players, national team players. An Argentine team won't win it for a long time. The Brazilians want it and have everything to win it."
Is there more pressure at a big Argentine club or a big Mexican club?
"In Argentina, 100%. Argentine fans believe their team has to win every time, no matter the reality."
Do Mexican players have less hunger than Argentines?
"They have hunger, they're professionals, but Argentines have much more. It's in their DNA. Although that's changing over time."
And the media, how is it?
"The Mexican media is more sensationalist and fun. In Argentina, you have everything: serious journalists and more and more streaming with people saying nonsense without any sense."
What annoys you most about journalism?
"Stupid questions. They should get a red card and not be allowed to attend 10 press conferences. They're always looking for sensationalism instead of focusing on football specifics. I think you can do journalism without that."
Quick questions
Did VAR ruin football?
"No, the people who use it did."
Is the Boca jersey heavier?
"Yes, it's heavy. I'd compare it to an elephant or to myself (laughs)."
Does the Bombonera beat?
"The Bombonera beats."
Which defender got most physical with you?
"Chiqui Perez. Once he elbowed me and split my eyebrow."
Which coach got the best out of you?
"Ariel Holan."
Did it ever happen that a coach didn't know your name?
"Twice. Once in Italy, when I joined a club that had just been promoted from C to B, the coach didn't know me. Another time at Nacional, the coach asked if I was Emanuel or Manuel. He had 25 players and didn't know my name."
What advice would you give a kid starting out?
"Work hard, focus on the details, take advantage of all the information available today. And don't give up, because the road is very tough."
To finish, how would you like to be remembered?
"As someone who worked his tail off to make it, who enjoyed every club he played for, and who always gave everything for the shirt he wore. That's what matters."