Young sports director with clear ideas for the future. Arriving in that Serie A which as a footballer was stolen from him by a mocking fate. Giuseppe Figliomeni is now the sporting director of Gelbison, studying for the future. “For me it’s like going to school. You go to elementary school, middle school and then high school. As a footballer I tried to carve out a space for myself by working my way up, this is also necessary as a manager. The experience in Matera and this one at Gelbison are helping me a lot,” Figliomeni explains to TuttoMercatoWeb.com.
His models?
“I appreciate Daniele Faggiano, like Paolo Cristallini and Pasquale Sensibile. I have a lot of respect for Di Bari and Colucci, respectable, calm people. But Walter Sabatini is my main role model, together with Giovanni Sartori: they are the ones I mainly appreciate.”
As a footballer he came close to the Serie A many times.
“In Serie B I lived for years between Varese and Latina when we came close to Serie A, with Juve Stabia we were fourth in the first round. I approached Mino Raiola, it seemed like I was going to Milan and then I got hurt and had some injuries. I had to have an operation, because Milan wanted me, I moved on to have a career in Serie B but in warm, beautiful places.”
Mino Raiola was a piece of world football history.
“It will always remain a beautiful memory for me from many points of view. It revolutionized the market. I remember him as a kind-hearted, fantastic person. On a human level he was always trying to solve your problem. Today Vincenzo Raiola and Sandro Martone have taken up his professional legacy and are carrying the agency forward with great merit.”
That Serie A that he didn’t hit as a footballer will try to hit as a manager…
“I remember one day in Crotone Ursino: he told me ‘get a pen and paper’ and showed me the flights to Milan. Inter wanted me, Andreolli was ill and they were looking for a young prospect. With the Nerazzurri I was on the bench in Serie A and won the Primavera championship. It was nice. Between finals lost in B and opportunities gone, I lost A several times. And in the future, yes, I would like to arrive in Serie A as sporting director.”
Scudetto: Napoli or Inter?
“It will be an exciting fight until the end. They are teams that play well and don’t give up. I see a lot of balance.”
And the B?
“There may be some surprises. I see that Spezia is a completely different story compared to last year. I hope that Catanzaro can reach the playoffs. I had Stroppa in Foggia: Cremonese can fight to the end.”