CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
- Can former star players fit as
head coaches?
I
n appointing Andrea Pirlo and Ronald
Koeman to run their respective first teams,
Barcelona andJuventus basically are
playing the populist card, banking on the
return of iconic playing figures to spark similar
amounts of success in the technical area.
There’s a great deal of precedent and logic
to the idea. Pep Guardiola and Zinedine Zidane
both managed to create golden dynasties on
their old Barcelona and Real Madrid stomping
grounds. Neither Pirlo nor Koeman will have to
waste time finding their bearings and know
exactly what the culture and the expectations
are. Nor are the pair likely to have
any problems in the dressing
room; players tend to have
instant respect for high achievers.
Supporters invariably embrace
such appointments, excited
by the reappearance of
much-loved idols.
There are snags however. Pirlo, for example,
has never coached at any level, only granted
his UEFA pro licence earlier this summer.
Once a thoroughbred deep-lying playmaker,
he repeatedly showcased the finest of tactical
brains. So wouldn’t he have been better served
with a coaching apprenticeship somewhere less
taxing? Learning on the job – and even moreso in a high-profile post – comes with clear
risks.
Ronald Koeman will always be a Nou Camp
VIP for his bullet free-kick against Sampdoria
in Barca’s first-ever European Cup victory at
Wembley in1992. But that will not make his
new role any easier. Barcelona are in a mess
from top to bottom and while Koeman has
done an excellent job of late with the
Netherlands national team, he has had his
sub-par moments in club management,
particularly at Benfica, Valencia and
Everton. He is not the Messiah.It may well be the case that that Koeman
turns out to merely be a seat-warmer.
Presidential elections are scheduled for
next March and most of the candidates are
promising to give the head coaching reins to
legendary Camp Nou midfielder and skipper
Xavi, who currently is working in Qatar. That
leaves Koeman with very little time to clear
out the dead wood and recalibrate.3.Will Istanbul Basaksehir
make the weight?The Basaksehir outfit, recently crowned Turkish
champions for the first time in their history, will
be keen to mark their inaugural Champions
League campaign with a scalp or two. Wishful
thinking perhaps? The slow pace of the Super
Lig is not the best of training grounds, so they
can be vulnerable to teams who play with
physicality and high tempo.4.Who will the neutrals
pull for?Atalanta would be a good choice. The Bergamo
club have much to commend them: they play
high-quality attacking football thanks to the
tactical wiles of coach Gian Piero Gasperini,
whose fluid 3-5-2 system is a work of art.
Located in a city terribly affected by COVID-19,
theyneed allthe backingthey can get.5.Where will the goals flow
the most?Prepare yourselves for a Dortmund firework
display. Apart from Liverpool, there is no better
team in Europe at exploding forward from deep
positions. So many attacking weapons, with new
Brazilian signing Reinier joiningJadon Sancho,
Thorgan Hazard,Julian Brandt, plus the biggest
gun of all in prolific striker Erling Haaland.Guardiola and Zidane both managed
to create golden dynasties on their old
Barca and Real stomping grounds