TO 1000 Chiacchiere Rossoblùour weekly program in which we tell the news related to Bologna FC, the former sporting director was a guest Filippo Fusco. Neapolitan born in 1969, Fusco was Manager of the rossoblù Technical Area from June to December 2014, taking charge of a newly relegated team. He later also held the same role in Verona, where he remained for two seasons, and in the Juventus youth sector, where he worked from January 2019 to July 2020. After three years, in 2023, the former manager then accepted the position of coach on the Spal bench.
Filippo Fusco: «It’s a great emotion to see this Bologna»
What effect does this Bologna currently fourth have on you today?
«It’s a great emotion to see this quality of play, the support of the fans and a full Dall’Ara. It is an emotion for all those who love football and for those who are and have been linked to Bologna. This is a square that is difficult to forget. I believe that Saputo’s presence in the city is fundamental, feeling the owner’s participation up close becomes important for everyone. I often say that within sports clubs the least visible components are those who create the soul of the club, from the sporting director to the president to the coach».
Did you expect Giovanni Sartori to have such an immediate and important impact on the team?
«Sartori is a sports director in the true sense of the term: he is someone who doesn’t appear much but works and travels a lot, he has been doing this job for many years now. I have known Giovanni for a long time, we talk and hang out and I think that what he is doing with Bologna is a source of great pride for him. He too, as sporting director, is doing an excellent job, despite our role being important but not always in the spotlight. And he plays this role perfectly, he is always at the center of the technical choices even though he does not seek protagonism».
What kind of person is Joey Saputo, having worked closely with him?
«I can tell an anecdote about one of the very first meetings I had with the President, dating back to December of the year I arrived in Bologna. He wanted to call the employees one by one to find out what he could do to improve their working conditions. He impressed me a lot and I understood the respect he had for all the company’s employees. As I was saying, this constant presence of the President is an added value, given the importance that this role holds».
What was it like working in the summer of 2014, at the time of relegation to Serie B?
«Those months seemed like years because at that time everyone hoped that Bologna would go bankrupt so they could start from scratch. However, there was room to save the team and even if it seemed impossible, all the members, from the players to the other clubs, rowed in the same direction. I seemed crazy because I really believed it. ‘Guys, let’s try – I said – If we are in B we will save ourselves, if we fail we will start again from D and we can aim for C’. We rebuilt the team from scratch, both the players and the agents were very helpful. However, everyone understood that Bologna has an important fan base, as well as a beautiful city, and therefore it was easier to rebuild the team. We started again with various difficulties, amidst skepticism, then we began to win and at the end of the first round we were second in the standings. We proved that we are a strong team».
In your opinion, will Motta decide to stay?
«As an outsider it is difficult to make assessments. He has certainly done an excellent job so far and his mentality was confirmed in Bologna, even more so if the team were to reach the Champions League. Each choice has a pro and a con, then personally I think that continuity is an added value».
Which player surprised you the most?
«I would say Zirkzee, also considering the departure of Arnautovic who was a bit of a symbol of the team. Then De Silvestri, I’ve known him since he was a boy, I know his moral values and I know how important it is to have such an element in the locker room».
How has the world of football changed from the point of view of human relationships?
«Today everyone wants a sporting director, even in foreign countries where there is a managerial model like England. It is certainly a figure who has a certain competence but with all the roles that exist today we must continually reaffirm ourselves».
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