EXCLUSIVE - Ulivieri: "Ranieri has done a miracle, but in Italy this would be impossible"
He began with his views on what Claudio Ranieri is achieving at Leicester City, stating that; “It’s incredible what is happening in the Premier League, I mean Claudio Ranieri, really? It’s unbelievable how the old managers find new places to coach and Ranieri has his own style”.
He continued, “When you work with English players, you must not concentrate too much on the tactical side of the game or else it deviates away from the physical aspect. This is what happens in England as well as other European nations, and it’s always been difficult for Italian coaches to transmit the tactical side of the game. We need to look at Ranieri as an example and take lessons from this”.
THE MERITS OF RANIERI
Ulivieri explained that; “We have to also take into consideration the ability of the players at his disposal and the emotional aspect, because it would have been easy for it all to derail very early on in the season. This is where Ranieri has excelled, he’s kept the team focused and has built a great team spirit”.
He then stated that; “Let’s not forget that Ranieri is an internationally experienced coach who has adapted to all styles of football. It wasn’t easy when he went to Spain and it wasn’t easy when he came to Leicester City. This year it clearly is a miracle but the miracle of Ranieri has helped Italian coaches”.
AN IMPOSSIBLE DREAM IN ITALY
When asked if the same situation could happen in the peninsula, Ulivieri was clear when he declared that; “I’m sorry to say that this situation would never happen in Italy. I cannot imagine another Scudetto to Sampdoria, Verona or even Fiorentina. The distribution of resources has to be more evenly distributed if we want a more level playing field. It was the proposal of our organisation to distribute funds with 50% in equal amounts going to all the clubs and then the other 50% based on fan base, position in the league table. So far we’ve had no response….”
Adapted from the original. Translation By Steve Mitchell @barafundler
