Juventus icon Alessandro Del Piero believes Italian football is owed a degree of credit to Zinedine Zidane’s huge success as Real Madrid Coach.
Zidane has guided Madrid to consecutive Champions League victories and a Spanish title since replacing Rafa Benitez in January 2016, but the Frenchman notably played under World Cup winner Marcello Lippi and Champions League legend Carlo Ancelotti at Juve.
“As Italians, we are maniacs with some things,” Del Piero told Goal.com.
Juventus icon Alessandro Del Piero believes Italian football is owed a degree of credit to Zinedine Zidane’s huge success as Real Madrid Coach.
Zidane has guided Madrid to consecutive Champions League victories and a Spanish title since replacing Rafa Benitez in January 2016, but the Frenchman notably played under World Cup winner Marcello Lippi and Champions League legend Carlo Ancelotti at Juve.
“As Italians, we are maniacs with some things,” Del Piero told Goal.com.
“When you see his team, you can clearly feel that and see that something is going on.”
“He has had the two Coaches that changed a lot. Ancelotti and Lippi for him were very important for many reasons. I believe he thinks about Italy a lot when he’s coaching.
“He’s showing things he learned during his career as well, not only what he’s studying.
“The experience in Italy is very unique as a coach. Because you are under pressure a lot from every part of the job, fans, media, clubs and players sometimes. For us football is the first thing. It’s primary. You need to be 100 percent.
“Everybody is still in love with Zidane the player. But he got a lot of experience first under Ancelotti and then with the second team at Real Madrid. He studied a lot.
“I spoke with him and he was explaining how much he was studying and going around all the teams in France and Spain to look at what the other coaches were doing and how things were going on.
“He’s a very smart guy and he knows how to do it and it shows in the work. I’m surprised a bit because he won the Champions League straightaway when he got the job.
“He found straightaway the way to make a successful team and put everybody on the same page. It’s not easy at that kind of club.”