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Stefano Caira, former sporting director of Roma, spoke on ‘1 Football Club’, a radio program hosted by Luca Cerchione on 1 Station Radio. Here is an excerpt from the interview.
Your opinion on today’s news: Napoli’s supposed interest in Juventus’ Federico Gatti.
‘Well, he is an excellent player, no one can doubt that. I believe he is among the best, among the more or less young players, currently around. If Napoli were to succeed in signing him, it would certainly be an excellent move.’
So, in your opinion, it would be a yes?
‘Are you asking me if it would be a good signing? Yes, in my opinion, he is an excellent player. Then, whether the negotiation will be successful or not, I don’t know. But, I repeat, he is one of the best in that role.’
In the Napoli context, who would Gatti replace?
‘If Napoli are looking for him, they have evidently already made their evaluations in that role. He could be an additional option, especially if the team qualifies for the Champions League. At that point, having two players per role becomes essential, and they must be of the same level, not just simple reserves for the bench.’
Let’s move on to the National team. Spalletti has called up 25 players, including Retegui, who however had to leave the training camp. Nine of these players have played or are playing abroad, like Casadei. Is this proof that playing outside of Italy is beneficial?
‘It’s not a fixed rule. We have seen many young guys go abroad from a young age and then get lost or return to Italy without having broken through. It depends a lot on the person, on how they face change and how they want to set up their life. Going abroad means changing habits, language, culture, climate. If someone comes from Naples or Rome and finds themselves, for example, in Manchester, it can be a difficult impact to manage. If you are not really ready, you risk suffering.’
Let’s return to Serie A. Inter still seems to be the team to beat: when they play at their best, they are clearly superior to the others. However, perhaps this year they have not always managed to express themselves at their best.
‘Not always, it’s true. But we must consider that they are still in the running for all the competitions that interest them. You cannot expect to always be at your best. If that were the case, there would be no contest. Last year they won the league well in advance, but also because there were no real opponents to contend with.’
Staying on the subject, in your opinion, if Napoli had a more prolific bomber than Lukaku, would the scudetto race have been easier?
‘We should not diminish Lukaku, because he is an important player and has scored decisive goals. In the final count, everything must be evaluated. Undoubtedly, if there had been another attacker similar to him to support him, perhaps Napoli would have a few more points.’
So Lukaku has not disappointed expectations?
‘Perhaps some more goals were expected, it’s normal when talking about a striker. But, from what I’ve seen, in important moments he has always made his contribution, dragging the team. Even at Inter he had periods in which he did not score. You cannot expect every player to always perform as in the past. You have to consider the context.’
There is also talk of a possible farewell of Conte at the end of the season. Do you really believe he could leave Napoli?
‘After what happened with Spalletti, probably yes. But not because of Conte or Spalletti. The relationship with the club, evidently, tends to become complicated over time. I do not know the internal dynamics in detail, so I cannot express myself with certainty. However, if he too decides to leave after a season that is still positive, some questions will have to be asked.’
So, if Napoli’s goal was to return to the Champions League, can we say that they are respecting the plans?
‘Yes, it seems to me that it is in line with the objectives. If then there should be a farewell, it would be necessary to reflect on the relationship between the club and the coaches.’
A season of mixed fortunes for the Italian teams in European cups: what needs to be done to relaunch our football movement?
‘My proposal for the reform of the championships offers a concrete solution. Annexation, inclusion, and, why not, acquisition of Lega Serie C by Lega Serie A and Serie B. Through a form of sponsorship, the Serie A and B Leagues could gain control of Lega C, which would thus become a service League. Currently, the average expenditure of a Serie A club for the youth sector is around 2/3 million per season: channeling this money to Serie C clubs, giving the possibility to ‘sponsor’ one or more clubs. From statistics, investments in youth sectors in A and B in the last three years have exceeded 100 million annually, a considerable figure to finance a New Serie C and allow them in turn to observe the rules and finance amateur teams with the ‘due’ preparation prizes. Growing up young people in a more ‘normal’ reality from a social and educational point of view – the shirts of the A and B clubs are removed – and therefore in healthier and more real conditions, from a technical point of view the A and B clubs will provide qualified instructors for the growth and training of young people. In this way, it will also be possible to combat the unedifying rumor for which many young people in Serie C play only for extra-technical reasons. Define an age limit for the Serie C championship, for example 23 years. Introduce, as in England, the rule that allows a temporary registration even throughout the season, which favors the possibility for the most promising young people to have experiences with the first teams of A/B without having to wait for the official market windows.’
‘The A and B clubs would only maintain the Primavera formation. Technically there would certainly be significant growth because the experience of many young people in representing cities and prestigious clubs in front of more attentive and demanding spectators, compared to the elite to which parents are accustomed today, would allow selection and maturation for more important stages. Politically, the professional Leagues would effectively have a uniform 34% representation, not as today where Serie C does not always follow the policies of A and B, and, therefore, recovering the missing percentage could be easier.’