Maximilian Favocoach of the Italian Under 17 team, fresh from winning the European Championship, gave an interview to The morning in which he talked about the Italian talents and how they are used.
Favo, what is the right recipe to try to reverse this trend?
“We have to dare more. Our young people deserve space. We have good young people but then something gets in the way. From June last year to today we have achieved great results at youth level. It is not true that only we coaches are good, but I do not want to think that is the case”.
Why?
“Without good players, the coach does little. The seed grows where the earth is fertile.”
Where does the process get stuck?
“We must not confuse the results of the youth national teams with the work of the youth sectors of the clubs.”
That is to say?
“We select and let the good guys play, but the education is provided by the youth sectors. The training is not federal but by the clubs. We take the best products and try to make them grow at an international level”.
So the talent is there?
“Absolutely yes. We also have many. But there is little desire to dare. The clubs must believe more in their players, especially the quality ones. They must build a project on the youth. And then some players must be waited for. The important thing is that they train with the big ones to learn even the little things”.