leonardo

Speaking to Il Sole 24 Ore, Leonardo talks about his managerial career, including his stint at Inter, and also discusses the state of Italian football.

“I’ve been to Milan for six years, and after that Paris Saint-Germain for two: schools where I have learned so much, how to communicate, manage, concentrate and how to deal with controversy in those years,” Leonardo said of his managerial career so far.

He was then asked about his time at Inter.

“To president Moratti, who I admire and know well for many collaborations in humanitarian projects, in a few months managed to build a wonderful adventure. I do not regret anything about that passage from Milan to Inter.

“There was some controversy, but I think everything is resolved because at Milan, even though I was not Paolo Maldini nor an absolute leader, I gave it consistently and this is recognised. This controversy has changed me as a person.”

Lastly, the Brazilian coach discussed the current situation that Italian football finds itself in compared to what it was like in past decades.

“Italy, with the exception of Juventus where they plan, plan, take time and put so much effort into their own, finshed ten years ago. Its football worked and won, there were the fortunes of Moratti, Agnelli, Berlusconi, which allowed families to take out checks to have the strongest champions, a home-based management that could work in the 80s and 90s.

“Italy was self-sufficient, but today the stadiums are obsolete and are lacking a politically organised structure. While England, Germany, Real Madrid and Barcelona have given rules and models, channeled TV money and have developed for years, enveloping marketing policies on other continents to hunt for new fans and get millions in revenue.

“It seems complicated to imagine development of Italian football under foreign investment (Chinese). There’s a lot of money on the players, but there is no organisation, it’s not too far.”

Source: FcInterNews.it