Angelo Pagotto, coach and former goalkeeper for Napoli and Milan, spoke on `1 Football Club`, a radio program hosted by Luca Cerchione on 1 Station Radio. Here`s an excerpt from the interview.
Where has your work taken you recently?
`I`m currently attending a very interesting course in Coverciano for goalkeeper coaches. Furthermore, on this occasion, we visited the Vinovo sports center, where Juventus` youth sector trains. It was a great experience. Obviously, we are working to improve. We have also seen with the Italian national team that we need to start with young players to ensure that the next generations are up to par with the national teams of the past. We need to study hard because football is evolving rapidly. We Italians need to wake up because abroad the methods and training systems have improved significantly. We are struggling to compete with other nations. We should take Germany as an example: after a major disappointment at the European Championship, they radically changed their football system and, within ten years, they returned to the top of European football.`
Considering individual players, the national team is not far behind others. I`m thinking of Donnarumma, Buongiorno, Bastoni, and Calafiori in defense, Barella in midfield, and the emergence of Moise Kean in attack. Do you think it`s a lack of men or is the problem elsewhere?
`No, it`s not a problem of men. In the last year and a half, several talented players have emerged. Now we need to be able to put them together and create a national team worthy of the name Italy.`
Giacomo Raspadori managed to score and delivered two good performances against Germany. However, he seems destined for the bench against Milan with the return of Neres and the consequent switch to 4-3-3. Do you agree with this possible decision by Conte?
`Conte is a very experienced coach. He sees the players training every day and knows their form better than anyone else. If he decides to start Raspadori from the bench, he will surely have a valid reason. He probably thinks he can use him as a card in the second half. I imagine a return to 4-3-3 from the first minute, with Raspadori coming on during the match, it could be an extra weapon. The match lasts 90 minutes, and having a player like him to bring on in the second half can make a difference.`
Let`s move on to Milan. What happened to the Rossoneri this year?
`There are many problems. When a club is not present daily in the life of the team, there is a risk of dispersing energy and not having a clear picture of the situation. Before, with Maldini, there was a constant reference point: he was the figurehead of Milan and managed to solve any problem. Now there is a lack of a reference point, and the results are showing.`
On Sunday evening, there will be Napoli-Milan. Napoli is looking to bounce back after some missteps in the Scudetto race, while Milan wants to keep their Champions League hopes alive. Who is coming into this match in better shape?
`Both teams must give their best because neither can afford a misstep. Napoli has had a physiological dip, and in my opinion, they weakened in January with the sale of Kvaratskhelia. Despite this, Conte is doing an extraordinary job, a sporting miracle, keeping the team just a few points from the top. The league is still long, and he will know how to manage the strength. Milan, on the other hand, is an unpredictable team. In the Supercoppa, they showed they can deliver great performances. The Maradona is an important stadium, so I expect a very balanced match.`
You mentioned Kvaratskhelia. In your opinion, what prompted Napoli to sell him without having a ready replacement?
`When a player wants to leave, keeping him against his will is useless. Napoli did well to let him go because he would have remained discontent, risking creating problems in the locker room. I don`t think the club wanted to sell him, but the boy made a life choice by moving to Paris. Now we need to look ahead.`
Another particular choice by Napoli in January was the loan of Elia Caprile to Cagliari. Cagliari has an option to buy: would it be a regret for Napoli to lose him permanently?
`Yes, it would be a regret. I don`t know the details of the contract, but if Cagliari has an option to buy, then the situation becomes complicated. In this case, Napoli`s only hope would be that Cagliari does not have the economic strength to buy him outright, because then Caprile could return to the Azzurri. He is a goalkeeper I believe in a lot, and I think he could be Napoli`s future. He has all the qualities to become Napoli`s starting goalkeeper in the future. He has all the characteristics of a modern goalkeeper: he is good with his feet, has great personality, and despite his young age, he shows confidence. I really hope he can return to Napoli.`
Ewan Marwood