Paris (AFP)
"There is no curse in the Champions League," said Italian coach Massimiliano Allegri, beaten twice in the final of the prestigious European competition with Juventus Turin and looking for a new challenge next summer, Thursday in an interview with AFP.
While in Paris to promote his book "Winning, it's so simple" (Marabout editions), Allegri (52) denies having been approached by PSG leaders to discuss a possible arrival on the bench l next year: "I'm not talking about my future because I don't know my future."
Q: Why did you write this book?
A: "I wanted to write to make it clear that what is happening in football also happens in business. Each leader must make the most of the people he has to manage, in order to achieve results and achieve In football, it is winning matches, the championship, the Champions League, the national cup. In business, it is making profits. In football, the two come together, because you have to have results football level and for society. The coach of the future, like it or not, must become a business man. "
Q: In your opinion, a coach "demands leadership qualities that go far beyond simply knowing the game". Who is the best in your eyes in this area?
A: "I think right now Jürgen Klopp, since moving from Borussia Dortmund to Liverpool, has made giant leaps in all areas, be it technical, tactical, psychological, seeing that from Then, (Pep) Guardiola, (Zinedine) Zidane ... There are so many. "
Q: What about your future?
A: "I still have a little vacation. How much is left? Three months of vacation? So, another three months of vacation, that's fine. In September, I have to come back (on a bench), even if I'm get used to vacation too well, and I don't work anymore. So I have to come back!
Q: Who was the player who most marked you in your coaching career?
A: "I have had the chance to train many champions, four years at Milan (2010-2014) and five years at Juventus (2014-2019). I have had all kinds. really impressed with the way he played, even though when he came to Milan he was at the end of his career, it was Ronaldinho. He could have been at the top for several years, then he stopped before. "
Q: What are Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic different from other players you have known?
A: "Playing football is not only a question of technique but a question of mind. It takes a great mentality, a great will to sacrifice. Ronaldo is the demonstration of all this, because he is a player who, at 35, continues to question himself, in addition to the technical qualities he has. After five Ballons d'Or, five Champions Leagues, he is still preparing to achieve other goals. Ibrahimovic is another player who, even now at Milan, still demonstrates that he is a champion. "
Q: What did you think of the coaching of Parisian coach Thomas Tuchel during Dortmund-PSG (2-1)?
A: "I absolutely did not see the match. I watched Atletico-Liverpool, I just saw extracts from Paris SG. So, I cannot say ... But this year, the the only thing I can say about C1 is that the competition is very open. Anyone can win it. "
Q: When there is such a curse at PSG when playing the knockout stages, what is the best speech to break to break this?
A: "There is no curse in the Champions League. You have to play it. With Juventus, we played two finals (2015, 2017). Then you can win or lose it. We faced the Real Madrid and Barcelona, who were the strongest teams at the time, between the two it was the first we could have won, more likely, the second was much more difficult, but there is absolutely no curse. All major events must be played with great serenity, especially if you can play these great finals. The serenity of the players, you do not need to transmit them because the great players, they have it. "
Interview by Yassine KHIRI and Terence DALEY.
© 2020 AFP