Cesare Prandelli reveals he was asked to replace Claudio Ranieri at Leicester City, but “you can’t go there after seeing how they treated him.”
The former Italy and Valencia Coach sat down with French channel SFR Sport to discuss his career and was asked about Leicester’s upturn following the sacking of Ranieri.
Cesare Prandelli reveals he was asked to replace Claudio Ranieri at Leicester City, but “you can’t go there after seeing how they treated him.”
The former Italy and Valencia Coach sat down with French channel SFR Sport to discuss his career and was asked about Leicester’s upturn following the sacking of Ranieri.
“New Coaches should study his situation. In two or three months, what happened cannot happen,” Prandelli told SFR Sport. “Subconsciously, the team clearly gave less and worked less than it could’ve done. That is why it’s important for a club and directors to not leave all the responsibility on the shoulders of the Coach, otherwise this happens.
“I said no. There was an approach, but I immediately said no. You don’t go to a place like that after seeing how Ranieri was treated. You don’t go there. Full stop.
“Football management is an extraordinarily difficult, but wonderful job. In recent years there are big changes between the way Coaches and players deal with each other.
“For example, Ranieri achieved something extraordinary that could not be repeated. A Coach who wins a memorable, historic title and is then dumped after a few months means someone has to reflect on the situation.
“When responsibility is all on the shoulders of one person, he can’t hold it. If that responsibility is shared with the club, directors and players, then it becomes far simpler.
“A Coach needs to just be a Coach. When he is asked to do other jobs, it becomes complicated.
“The new generation in the locker room are all isolated and have their own little worlds. You can’t create unity in the team with just 45 minutes on the pitch at a time.
“There are moments in life when you find people – because players are footballers – who are able to be men before they are footballers, then you don’t need a method. You can only do what you can with the players at your disposal. There’s no system that can work otherwise.
“Football is going in a direction where there are more systems and more methods, so that’s good for the sport. The problem is that people try to copy it and not everyone can make that work.
“For example, Arrigo Sacchi a few years ago – the greatest Coach in world football – made Milan the best team in the world. Everyone tried to imitate that Milan and many made a disaster out of it. You can’t copy that.
“At Barcelona, Pep Guardiola was the first to attack high the moment he lost the ball. He realised then that he could make the most of the characteristics of his players.
“Football now is moving towards pace and athleticism combined with technique. The technical foundations of today’s players have improved.
“I like a football where there is a precise identity of the team. Antonio Conte has given an extraordinary identity to his team, Diego Simeone has been playing very aggressive and sharp for years now and we have very good Coaches like Max Allegri, Vincenzo Montella, Ancelotti and Luciano Spalletti. Spalletti has done extraordinary work at Roma.
“A Coach needs time to make his mark, but in four or five months – if you are in pre-season – a Coach should create an identity for his team.
“I had five years in Florence – apart from the four months when I was delegitimised and that made it difficult. We went beyond expectations and I had the chance to leave, but I stayed because for me winning the Scudetto at Fiorentina is worth 10 elsewhere.”
Italian Coaches seem to have remarkable success abroad, from Conte to Carlo Ancelotti, Roberto Mancini and Fabio Capello.
“Considering my two experiences, you might think not! Italian Coaches probably have more knowledge of the game, they are not so rigid in their tactics and are meticulous, going to training every day with the right mentality, enthusiasm and don’t get too carried away in positive or negative moments.
“When you leave Italy, the first thing you realise is that the level of media and fan pressure drops significantly. I always say Florence is a very difficult place to work, but also very motivating, because you know every day you have to give your best. Some Coaches prefer that.
“In England it’s different, because the Coach is also a manager, so he is the most important figure in the club. I was close to the Premier League, but I always worked with people who were suited to their role and did their job. The Coach can become important, but not when it comes to co-ordinating negotiations and transfer strategy. That becomes too much.
“Jose Mourinho has not changed, he remains a reference point as a Coach and as a personality. He is one of those figures who is able to amaze and surprise. He was the first after Ranieri’s dismissal to come out and defend him, so someone able to anticipate trends is very intelligent.
“There are always people who want to represent and propose you. There were people close to Marseille who kept saying they wanted me, but I never got a genuine call from the club.”