Claudio Ferrarese
Claudio Ferrarese was interviewed exclusively by TorinoGranata.it. Ferrarese, who is a sports manager and this season was the head of scouting for Lucchese 1905, as a footballer played among other clubs for Turin in the 2006-2007 season. We spoke with him about Paolo Vanoli, waiting for the coach who brought Venezia back to Serie A to be made official on the Turin bench. Ferrarese and Vanoli, when they were footballers, wore the Verona shirt together for three seasons from 1995 to 1998.
What kind of person is Paolo Vanoli?
“We met a few years ago when we both played for Verona and he was a young boy. Every now and then, when commitments allow it, we still see each other in Verona because he lives there and we also happened to see each other in some stadium over the years. He’s a great person and has always had nice ways with us young people, I’m six years younger than him. What he did this year at Venezia was incredible for me: an important journey that culminated in bringing Venezia back to Serie A. Paolo deserves an important stage. I don’t know what the future dynamics will be that will concern him but with his work he has achieved everything. Let’s not forget that he won the Russian Cup with Spartak, the equivalent of our Italian Cup. And for several years he was on Antonio Conte’s staff so he worked his way up and embarked on a path that today has led him to be a good coach.”
He will arrive at Torino where the club is disappointed by the failure to qualify for the Conference League play-offs and by three years of floating in mid-table and with a team that will probably lose some important players. How could one find Vanoli in a context of this type?
“When a coach arrives at a new club he must put aside all the dynamics that have been there. When there is a change of coach there is also great enthusiasm and therefore I believe that he would have a good impact on Torino. He will bring new ideas and new enthusiasm to both the square and the players. Players who could leave, I too have read that many like Buongiorno but also that president Cairo would like to keep him, these are dynamics that concern the club and it will be up to director Vagnati to rebuild the team based on who will leave and who will remain going after you. These are dynamics that we don’t know about at the moment. The square is more or less disappointed, in general when things aren’t going well we change and try to bring a breath of enthusiasm and new ideas. I feel like saying that not everything Juric has done should be thrown away, on the contrary. Torino has always had good championships and then it also depends on the budget that the club has and the Granata club has always been lower than the other big clubs also in terms of income, budget and salaries. If we invested a little more maybe we would be able to get something better, but today it’s not easy and it’s impossible to compare yourself with the big teams. Torino has a great place, I played there and I know how to live. Torino deserves a lot because it has extraordinary fans, it is a wonderful city and it has extraordinary fans, but you cannot expect to arrive in Europe every year because there are many other strong teams who spend and have budgets.”
Vanoli has a form that he prefers but he is also a coach who changes it by adapting his way of playing to the players he has available. And then among the managers of Torino there is Moretti with whom he had played during his time at Fiorentina. Will it be an advantage for him?
“The fact that Moretti is at Torino can be something nice in the sense that they know each other and mutually know who they are dealing with. It’s true that Paolo is a coach who knows how to adapt based on the players he has available and he will also understand which formation he wants to play with. It’s something that will be seen with time, with work, with the market that will be made and the players who will remain. Today we still can’t talk about the module.”
From a character point of view, what is Vanoli like?
“In recent years we have only met sporadically, but he has always given me the impression of being a very balanced person, a nice person who works a lot, even as a footballer he was like that. A truly tireless man and I imagine that’s the case even now that he coaches. Many players who have had him have spoken to me very well about him, which is why I am convinced that he can do well in a place like that of Torino.”
How do you relate to the fans and the city where you work?
“It’s difficult to answer this question, but as he is a very balanced and very available person, I believe he would be open to dialogue. She is a genuine person. This is the feeling Paolo gives me. He is a person who, in my opinion, will be loved by the Granata people. He is not arrogant or someone who is disliked: he is a gentleman.”
Consequently, do you consider him the right person for Torino at this moment?
“Yes, I see him as the right person. I don’t have a crystal ball, but I think it could be a nice profile.”
With the experience he has gained in Conte’s staff and in Russia, can he make him ready to try to help Turin make the famous leap in quality?
“Yes, that’s right. For me she has enough experience”.
