TMW exclusive
On the sidelines of the “About young people” event held yesterday in Tolentino, Silvio Pagliari took stock of the situation in our notebooks: “It was a wonderful event because very important people arrived who made the history of this profession. Many times came out, the audience was packed and consequently also for my country it was a satisfaction to receive these people. We often talk about young people, in Italy there are many strong ones. And now I think that many clubs, I see Juve while Empoli or Atalanta have always launched young people, are changing the trend have that courage to put them on the field.”
You underlined how we need to focus on fun and technique in children.
“I am absolutely convinced that, hearing about 17-year-olds who have to go to the gym or something else, football should go back to being as simple as Samaden said with the technical aspect. Until the rules change, in football you play with your feet and for me the kids have to improve their technique. I follow many youth championships and I see that there are too many elementary errors because recently we have moved the playing field to the gym. And this is a mistake that you cannot afford to make because when you arrive in the first (or even second) teams the technical aspect is fundamental. We need to go back to a time when stops, the header (the old ‘gallows’) were treated. These coaches who are in the youth sectors often train more myself to win matches and a little less to bring them to the first team.”
Would we also need more expertise?
“It’s a bit of a long discussion. If in the youth sector the coaches earn a cent compared to that of the first team, the incentive you have is to become a first team coach. It’s not just a question of competence but of carrying forward your own name to the detriment of individual improvement. The priority that a youth sector must have is to improve the boys who are with you. In the national teams we do a great job because in the first 20 we are strong, but before Italy had many boys in each group Now the best are in the national team but behind us we sin a little. We have to go back to being strong not in the top twenty but from the twenty-first to the hundredth, which is what then fueled the medium-low Serie A or Serie B. We sin. there and we have to improve in the technical gesture.”
Are you surprised by Naples at the top of the table?
“Conte never amazes me. Antonio’s story speaks clearly. He is a great coach and Napoli will fight until the end no matter what he says to dampen their enthusiasm a little. However, he will get to the end because winning is not easy because Inter are a battleship and Milan and Juve are doing well.”
The surprise of the championship?
“In my opinion there won’t be a surprise. These are the teams that can go all the way.”
What was the summer like from a work point of view?
“Good. We made a good operation with Mitaj at Al-Ittihad which is a club that surprised me a lot, very organized and with 60 thousand spectators. Then when you play with Kanté and Benzema it’s a leap for the extraordinary boy. I’m very satisfied because the player is very strong and deserves these stages.”
How is Vrioni going in MLS?
“He’s going well. He scored 12 goals in the cup and championship, they still have the chance to get into the playoffs. He’s a strong player, we have another year on his contract. We hope to stay.”
Can Lykogiannis be a resource for Italian?
“I have to be honest: Lykogiannis, who has been around for a few months, is an underrated player. For me he is one of the strongest left-backs in Serie A. He has physicality, leg and technique. He is an important player.”
Seagulls?
“We made a life choice last year, he’s doing very well in Dubai and he’s doing well. He’s an intelligent boy, he’s doing well and he’s taken this experience with the right attitude. He’s a boy who deserves all the satisfactions of this world”.
Has Thiago Motta allowed many young players like Savona to play at Juventus?
“I respect Thiago Motta very much. This is what is missing in Italy: they see a young man who is physically well and prefer him to someone else who perhaps should have started. We no longer have the courage to field them on the pitch. I don’t know why. Let’s consider a young player a 2000, but the 2000s are 24 years old. Abroad you see the 2004s and 2005s, sometimes you also see some 2006s or 2007s. We always talk about young people but if we don’t change the mentality, how can Spalletti make the kids play. You play against national teams that have players on the field who have a thousand more international appearances, then you struggle (as happened at the European Championship) when you meet a Switzerland that has more experienced players than yours.”