Part 1 | Zanetti: “We are FC Südtirol, not Juventus”

Part 1 | Zanetti: “We are FC Südtirol, not Juventus”

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Paolo Zanetti, born in 1982 from Valdagno, is one of the coaching newcomers in Italy. After a strong debut season and the runner-up title with FC Südtirol, he received the “Panchina d'oro” for the best third division coach. This year, Zanetti confirms that his fantastic debut with the “Weißroten” was no coincidence. The 36-year-old is aiming for Serie B with a completely revamped team.

By Christian Staffler

SportNews: Mr. Zanetti, you lost a lot of regular players in the summer. With many new players on board, FC Südtiroler is now back on track for the playoffs. How strong are you compared to last year?

Paolo Zanetti: “We are not yet ready for last year's performances, but we are working hard on it. The basis is right. The foundation stone was laid on the transfer market – also for the coming seasons. It wasn't easy because we had to build a new team in the summer. But we managed that well.”

Does it surprise you that many top performers from last year, such as Martin Erlic or Filippo Sgarbi, are having difficulty asserting themselves in a higher league?

“No, that doesn’t surprise me. There is a reason why there are different league levels. The level is simply higher in Serie B, not to mention Serie A. Nobody knew many of our players before they came to FC Südtirol. You made a name for yourself here and then took the chance to move to a higher league.”

So, after just one strong third division season, these young players still lack the quality for Serie B?

“A young player needs a coach who believes in him, prepares him for the task and then helps him to play. It took Sgarbi seven months at Perugia to adapt to Serie B. This requires luck and patience, which is not always the case. Erlic, on the other hand, was injured for a long time. Frascatore didn't get going and moved back to Serie C in the winter. There are also other examples, like Gyasi, who plays a good Serie B championship from the start.”

“I'm happy that I have a lot of options in attack. Last year I had two strikers.” Zanetti on the advantages compared to the previous season

Let's come to the current team: What are the advantages compared to last year?

“I'm very happy with the fact that I have so many options in attack. Last year we had two strikers who always played. This year I have Romero, who is a physically outstanding breaker. De Cenco is a very complete, strong striker. There is the dribbler Turchetta, the quick-witted Lunetta and Mazzocchi as a connection player. There’s also Morosini, who can play almost anywhere offensively.”

It is noticeable that they change their attackers very often. What criteria do you use to select your strikers?

“I rarely choose my lineup based on how the performance was the day before. I field the players who best suit the opponent. If we face a team that doesn't give us any space, then the fast, nimble players - unless they are technically very adept - are often for nothing. A guy like Romero is more important against opponents like that.”

You can also react and add quality from the bench. Winter newcomer Gabriel Lunetta has already scored three times as a joker...

“Lunetta scored three goals in seven games. That's more than in the entire first half of the season and the same number as in his best professional season to date. That's what I'm committed to because he's always used at the right moment - even if that means he's not always in the starting line-up. He has to make the difference, be decisive and not always play from the start.”

“If we lose, no one says we played well. The result counts. “ Zanetti on the importance of beautiful football

FC Südtirol is a team that tries to play good and beautiful football. But does that really matter to the spectators in the Drusus Stadium? Or does he just want to see success?

“I think the result counts the most. We are FC Südtirol and play in Serie C, not Juventus. It is perhaps important there that, in addition to successful football, there is also a spectacle. In my ideal vision, FC Südtirol plays successfully and beautifully at the same time. But if I had to give up something, it would be beauty. I always want to win and when I lose, no one tells me we played well.

Isn't it frustrating for a coach to be judged solely on results?

“That’s football. A coach has to be able to deal with criticism because it comes from all sides. There is criticism from the media, from the club itself, from the fans and of course on social networks.”

The media environment at FC Südtirol is quieter than at many other places. Is this an advantage for the work of a trainer?

"Yes and no. Criticism often hurts, but sometimes it can also help and motivate. There is less public criticism at FC Südtirol than elsewhere, that's true. As a result, I am the only one who can motivate the team. If I can't do that, then there's nothing else to get the players excited. But I have to say that my team rarely has these problems. FC Südtirol is a team with a strong character, we have proven that many times this year!”

Part 2 of the big one SportNews -Interviews with Paolo Zanetti will be available on Saturday. The FCS coach will then talk in detail about his game idea, tactics and the often criticized changes during a football game.

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