Introduce a Legend is not so easy,in his trophy room I can see 5 serie A scudetti,2 Italians Cup,4 Italians Super cup,3 UEFA Champions League,3 Uefa Super Cup,2 Intercontinental Cup all with AC Milan and than finish his great career playing for Brescia,Watford and Reggiana.
Presently his the Head of Ac Milan Youth Programme.
YOU WERE A FOOTBALLER (A TOP ONE)THAN YOU BECAME A COACH AND NOW YOU ARE WORKING IN A MANAGEMENT POSITION AS YOUTH DIRECTOR IN AC MILAN.WHAT DO YOU SEE IN YOUR FUTURE?
I can’t tell you about the future,I’m not a magician,seriously I love coaching but my aim is to maintain the position as technical Director of the Youth Department
AFTER THE 2014 WORLD CUP EVERYBODY IS TALKING ABOUT THE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT IN THE GERMAN MODEL HOW IS THE AC MILAN MODEL STRUCTURED AND HOW DO YOU PREPARED THE PLAYERS TO BE READY FOR THE FIRST TEAM?
I took charge in the 2009\2010 season,at the beginning of the 2012 season we started setting up the AC MILAN MODEL,a programme to develop young players.It’s a mix of tradition and innovation,we have talked to the people that have been part of the team and the management of our Club in the last 25 years when Ac Milan won in Italy,Europe and in the World and playing beautiful football.We have studied this period of time.Furthermore we have visited the best Italians and European Academies.The Ac Milan model is off course a work in progress and our aim is developing players for the first team starting from 13 years old and even younger in order to give them a sense of belonging and to transfer to them the Ac Milan identity.
3 MONTHS AGO WE PLAYED IN YOUR BEAUTIFUL TRAINING CENTRE WITH OUR U16 TEAM,I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU LIKED 2 OF OUR PLAYERS BUT I WON’T CALL ANY NAMES I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE YOUR OPINION ON THE TEAM PHYSICALLY,TECHNICALLY AND TACTICALLY AND WHERE ARE THE AREA WITH THE NEED FOR IMPROVEMENT.
To be honest I was really impressed by the average quality of your players.I think that some of them should be improve in playing a bit more for the team instead of playing in an individual way even though I understand they were looking forward to showing their own abilities.At the end, congratulations to all your players.
TELL ME HOW THE YOUTH PROGRAMME HAS CHANGED SINCE YOU WERE A PLAYER,TRAINING SYSTEM;SCIENCE DEPARTMENT,RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PLAYERS AND TECHNICAL STAFF AGENT AND CLUB.
Nowadays we have much more resources and we try to make the different staffs collaborate.
EXPLAIN THE AVERAGE WEEK OF A AC MILAN YOUTH (allievi U16)INCLUDING TRAINING,DIET,SCHOOL AND MATCH DAY
Usually Monday is off, Tue-Wed-Thu-Fry training in the afternoon, school in the morning, Sat is off, Sun championship match. We have a nutritionist who look after to the players.
HOW MANY PEOPLE WORKING IN YOUR DEPARTMENT?
About 100 comprehensive of the scouting area.
DO YOU PERSONALLY KNOW ALL THE YOUNG PLAYERS OF AC MILAN,DO THEY COME TO YOU FOR ADVICE OR THEY ARE TO SHY OR SCARED TO DO SO? WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM?
I know very well most of them. Not all the very young to be honest.
They can talk to me anytime.
They can talk to the tutors and then have a meeting all together: player, parents, tutor and me.
NAMED 3 VERY IMPORTANT PEOPLE THAT YOU HAVE ENCOUNTERED IN YOUR FOOTBALL CAREER .
Sorry but I can’t name only three person,
many people I met in my career have been important to me. All my coaches :Our common Friend Italo Galbiati at the Ac. Milan Academy, Gigi Radice when he used to coached Ac Milan first team, Rosati my coach at Pescara in my first season as professional. Then Castagner, Liedholm, Sacchi most of all, Capello, Tabarez, Lucescu, Oddo and Varrella at Reggiana, Baldini, Sonetti and Mazzone at Brescia, Gaffer Vialli at Watford, Trainini my last coach at Pro Sesto.
Everyone of them taught me something to think about.
AT THE END OF YOUR CAREER AS A PLAYER YOU PLAYED IN ENGLAND.DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR YOUNG PLAYERS SELECTED TO PLAY ABROAD?
WaTford was a great experience to me. I still have the hornets in my heart.
If you go abroad there is always something to pick up!
BEFORE YOU HAVE PLAYED AGAINST DIRECTV W CONNECTION IN SEPTEMBER,WERE YOU FAMILIAR WITH TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO FOOTBALL?
Not at all! I was surprised by your quality. By the way I wish you and your boys all the best!!!