MILAN - A few days before the start of the new season, Nerazzurri academy director Roberto Samaden spoke to Inter Channel.
A new season is beginning and, as it so often happens, there are some changes at a structural level as regards the team. Have you added another team?
"Yes, we have the Berretti again after a year without them. Since we have such a large and talented group – by the way, they won the Italian title in the 1997-born category – we evaluated the necessity, along with sporting director Piero Ausilio, of providing the possibility to so many youngsters to remain part of our youth academy. In this case it means moving on to the Berretti, which we so successfully oversaw two years ago, and now they’ll be back for the upcoming season."
Let’s talk a bit about coaches then, since there will be a few changes now that we have an extra team. Who will coach the Primavera team next season, which basically begins today?
"The new coach will be Stefano Vecchi. We’ve gone for a coach that already has experience with first teams, having coached in Serie B and Lega Pro. He’s also a guy who came up through our youth system. We shouldn't underestimate that. He will therefore coach our Primavera."
Will Salvatore Cerrone take over at the helm with the reigning champions?
"He’ll keep developing them, as he has done so well over the years. That’s because I believe he’s a true cornerstone of the youth academy, our youngsters and the U-18s; the Berretti in this case."
Let’s move down to the Allievi, where…
"Where Benoit Cauet will continue to work with the 98s, as he did last season. Just like with Gianmario Corti and the 97s, we think a two-year project with the Allievi will allow the coach to work in a productive way with the group, both from an individual and team standpoint. So Benoit will keep working with the 98s and Corti will drop down and take over the Allievi Lega Pro team."
And moving further down?
"All the coaches will be staying since we’re very happy with all three of them. We think Stefano Bellinzaghi, Marco Mandelli and Paolo Migliavacca, who will be leading the Giovanissimi Nazionali, Regionali A and B, are three young men capable of climbing the ranks and becoming the future coaches of our Primavera or Allievi teams. So there’s no question they’ll be back with their respective sides."
This youth academy has won more than any other in Italy over the last 10 years, and is now adding a partnership in Tuscany. So it’s more than being simply extra work with more lads to follow on the weekend.
"Yes, and it’s most of all the possibility of making the most of the work done at the youth centre we have in Altopascio, Tuscany; Tau, a club with which we’ve been carrying out this activity for the last two years. This gives us an outlet for the work we’ve been doing in Central Italy, and not only in Tuscany but in an entire area in which it’s not always possible to bring all the kids in our youth academy. So to have a situation like the one we have in Prato, a top notch youth system as regards the Lega Pro, allows us to provide a possible opportunity for the youths we’ve selected in this area."
We have to congratulate you. And we hope to see another impressive season from our youth academy.
"Thanks, and we’re all hoping for the same."
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