PINZOLO - "I began doing this profession by coaching a team of 12 year
olds. I arrived from professional football as a player, but I realised that I
didn't know what to teach to children so young." Gian Piero Gasperini
spoke to 54 coaches gathered this morning in the conference room of the
PalaDolomiti in Pinzolo, where they are participating in the course organised
by Inter that brings together coaches of youth teams and amateur clubs from all
of Italy.
Gasperini continued: "In that moment I started to study, to construct my
methodology to realise, day after day, that in Italy no true school exists.
Moreover, in the youth systems in Italy too much emphasis is given to physical
qualities; coordinated and skilful youngsters are released if they aren't tall
and well built. It was Spain that gave a boost to smaller players, making it
understood that it's not necessary, for example, to be 170 cm tall to know how
to head the ball."
On stage, Gasperini answered questions by Stefano Bellinzaghi, current coach of
the Giovanissimi Regionali B
(Under-13s) team,
explaining that: "I spent a long time, before starting to coach, trying to
create something that was mine alone. More than studying, I researched, copied
and modified to construct my own methodology, in which there are still many
doubts, but also certainties. I can say this, what really matters in the
coaching profession is creating one's own methodology."
Ways and methods of teaching, but also life experiences. "Who is the coach
who gave me the most? If we are talking about tactics then I have to say Enrico
Catuzzi, who unfortunately is no longer around and who already in the '85/'86
season started playing 'zone' in Pescara, when in Italy no one was playing that
way. Pescara was the only team that he coached, and only later did Arrigo
Sacchi's Parma come along." And when asked about the greatest moment in a
coach's life, Gasperini had no doubts: "When you see what you teach in
training get put into practice on the pitch."
The course organised by Inter began yesterday and will run until tomorrow with
a series of lessons that anticipate, among other things, a meeting with the
Nerazzurri's Youth Academy Director, Roberto Samaden, and the new coach of the
Primavera team, Andrea Stramaccioni.
