Former Roma midfielder and boss Daniele De Rossi insists football coaches should not imitate Pep Guardiola and admits Gian Piero Gasperini has been ‘probably’ the best Italian coach in the last 15 years.
Italy legend De Rossi spoke during the Sport Talk Industry event on Tuesday.
“Normality is underestimated these days,” said the former midfielder, as quoted by TMW.
“It’s difficult to play simple football. Rodri plays simply. To do what he does, he must think about so many things. Football is a simple sport, but it’s hard to do simple things.
“All the coaches want to imitate Guardiola, but this takes the ball off the kids’ feet for an hour of tactical training.”
Fabio Capello, the coach who gave De Rossi his senior Roma debut as a footballer, has also highlighted that many Italian coaches tend to ‘copy’ Guardiola, although this is not the right approach for the players’ development.
“A kid must have challenges, play one-v-one and have fun,” continued De Rossi.
“As they grow up, they’ll require a different type of work as football and all other sports require more and more physicality.”
De Rossi went on to talk about Italian football and the best players he met in his career.
“Perhaps the best Italian coach in the last 15 years is Gasperini, who has changed the life of a club and a city.,” said De Rossi.
“Atalanta have become a top team in Italian football and winning a trophy changes your journey. Spalletti is also a giant coach and he’s had more recognition since he won the title at Napoli. Winning is not fundamental, but I feel that those who win get more attention.”
De Rossi was sacked by Roma in September, just a few months after signing a three-year contract at the Stadio Olimpico.
The ex-midfielder didn’t talk about his time as a coach in the capital but did mention another Roma legend.
“Francesco [Totti], with whom I played for so many years, is the best and most fascinating player,” he said.
“His actions did the talking. As an opponent, I was fascinated by Zidane. He was so good to watch. The toughest one was Seedorf. I used to man-mark players quite simply, but I found a stronger physical, technical, and quick-thinking player in Seedorf.”
De Rossi won 14 of his 30 games in charge of Roma, drawing nine and losing seven.
Imagine thinking you could emulate Guardiola …when you are DDR!