Why exactly Of Gennaro? Because Antonio was a great midfielder; because forty years ago he won the scudetto with Verona, which is a bit like beat Sinner with a wooden Maxima; because he was the second Rai voice of the national team for six years; because yesterday he took the train at 6 in the morning from Bari, where he lives, to reach La Spezia, where he commented on the friendly match Under 21 with Ukraine and with the same number of hours (of flight) he could have easily arrived in South Africa; because he has always conveyed moderation, competence, education; because he will never, ever wear a “Adanite costume” and above all because on Monday morning, during a talk on Radio Kiss Kiss, he showed Mr. Hyde’s side: impetuous and verbally undisciplined to the point of being able to even overwhelm Beppe Bruscolotti. Edward Hyde Di Gennaro began like this: «Enough, it’s not possible to listen or read certain things, I hate fundamentalism: either you see it like them or you’re obtuse, ancient, outdated. There is not just one way of playing football, football has many facets. If you want, I’ll simplify the thought at the risk of trivializing it: football is knowing how to attack when you have the ball and knowing how to defend yourself when others have it. It’s not raining. I find unbearable certain lack of respect towards coaches who have made history by winning titles and often playing well, people who are still on the front line today. Football has evolved, but it doesn’t mean that if someone doesn’t build from the bottom, or lowers himself a lot when attacked, he should be considered finished.”.
You too will have a role model.
«Klopp is my favourite».
Liverpool has been given time to grow with the team.
«Which is not allowed here. Three and a half years without winning and then a perhaps unrepeatable series of successes. Football was a result, the rest is bullshit. I like coaches who impose their personality on the team, you recognize those immediately.”
You established yourself with Osvaldo Bagnoli, the prophet of silent leadership.
«Bagnoli was someone who loved attacking play. Today they would define it as a proposal. The first year in Verona we finished fourth playing better football than that of the Scudetto. Only one striker, but also many midfielders and defenders who accompanied the action and inserted themselves: Dirceu, Fanna, myself, Sacchetti, Marangon. Penzo was in front. Behind us we had two scorers and the libero, but it was a libero who played the role at Scirea, at Baresi. I’m talking about Tricella.”
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