How the coup with the Freiburg coach came about

Hannes Fink sums it up succinctly: “A coach like that would certainly not have chosen FC Südtirol not so long ago.” The former captain of the White-Reds now sits in the FCS management and is the right-hand man of Sports director Paolo Bravo. Because Fink is also responsible for the young professionals at FCS, he was in charge of signing Federico Valente. By replacing the Italian with Swiss roots (he was born and grew up in the baroque town of Solothurn in the canton of the same name), the South Tyroleans have achieved a great success - pretty much all experts at home and abroad agree on this. The 47-year-old did an outstanding job at European Cup participants SC Freiburg.

Valente was under contract in Breisgau for 4 years. During this period he first coached the U16, then the U17 and finally the U2 of the Bundesliga club for two years. Valente announced to Freiburg early in March that he would like to take on a new role in the summer. The job with the second team at SC Freiburg would have appealed to him, but it was taken. So Valente started looking for a new job and was introduced to Fink himself. The conversations went well (Valente's quote with a wink: "Hannes is a very atypical ex-player because he is very reliable") and that's how the engagement came about. Stepping into the unknown, a different league and a different country were further points that attracted Valente to the FCS. He had been following the club for a long time: “I followed the path of the professional team and was very impressed with what was achieved with the available opportunities.”

Courted by the Swiss association When Valente had already signed his working paper, FC Südtirol still had to overcome a hurdle. Because the Swiss association was digging into the coach and offered him a position. A prestigious job that would have appealed to Valente due to his long history in Switzerland (he spent his entire playing career there and is currently completing the football teacher training course in Switzerland): “The offer was an honor, but I value loyalty and values very important. I signed in South Tyrol and that was it for me.” Fink says with a smile: “We were shaking for a few days.” Hannes Fink with Federico Valente, the new Primavera coach of FC Südtirol.

Valente is now looking for an apartment in South Tyrol. He doesn't want to be too far away from the FCS center in Rungg, which is why he will probably choose Überetsch and not Bolzano city center. The last apartment viewings were scheduled for the weekend. Valente initially comes to South Tyrol alone, and his partner will join him in the fall. His two sons live in Switzerland and are trying to find their way into professional football back home.

Clear game ideas with influences from 3 countries On the pitch, coach Valente stands for clear ideas. Mentality and a sense of unity are most important to him - we know this from FCS head coach Pierpaolo Bisoli. “Everyone should bring maximum intensity to the pitch together. A clear playing culture with and against the ball, as well as joy and courage. After all, everyone started playing football because they like having the ball at their feet,” says Valente, explaining his ideas. But just pressing and intensity isn't enough for him: “You should be able to see a clear idea with the ball. But it's a process. Everything that looks good with the ball takes time." One reason for moving to FCS was that, although he works on a holistic concept, he can still incorporate his own ideas: "That's very important to me. I also want to be able to develop as a coach.” “My father went to Switzerland alone as a worker when he was 16. Nobody would do that these days.” Frederick Valente Already in conversation you can clearly see that Valente draws on different cultures. The background is family history. His father moved to Switzerland as a road worker when he was 16 and stayed. “Nowadays nobody would do that anymore. “To move abroad alone at the age of 16 and with only one suitcase is utopian,” says Valente.

The roots in Sibari (Cosenza province) in Calabria have always remained intact, and Valente also has Italian citizenship. There are also puzzle pieces from his time in Germany at SC Freiburg - and that doesn't just mean his slight Swabian touch in his accent. Speaking of language: This is another point that is very important for Valente. Not only does he speak clearly, he can also communicate with his future protégés in both South Tyrolean languages.

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How the coup with the Freiburg coach came about

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