During “The Coach Experience”, Alessandro Sponge received the “Golden Bench” award for his excellent season on the bench Roma Women. Below are the statements released by the Giallorossi coach to the microphones of the AIAC (Italian Association of Football Coaches).
He is not only here to meet colleagues, but also to collect a very important award. What do you see in this golden bench?
“First of all, thanks for the Golden Bench, it’s a recognition that I want to dedicate to all those who work with me. Today the coach has many colleagues who work together. The credit goes to them, to the girls, to the club that gave me the opportunity to coach in a very important context. I see a lot of sacrifice, a lot of passion.
Generally the idea of the coach is a solitary idea, but the bench is made up of many people. You grew up in Turin, then moved to Juventus. The first successes and triumphs with Roma have arrived. Your journey is an important one: what were the significant stages?
“I think they are all significant. You have to remember the journey, try to convey it, have a certain type of experience. I try to take a lot from the people who were involved in my journey; then there were stages that marked me in an important way , especially the fact that I started my journey with women’s football. They thought I was crazy, but instead it was a choice that I saw as a part that completed my journey. Then there were opportunities: first Empoli, then Juve. Empoli was an important stage. Now I have been chosen by Roma, this was the third year. They work well on the women’s side, it is an ambitious club and the results are the result of a lot of work.”
How important is the sensitivity of the club to be able to operate in a sector like that of women’s football?
“I think it’s important. Roma has great interest. People with great abilities have been chosen and Betty Bavagnoli is a person of this type, she has great interest in continuing an ambitious project. The fact of having so many people at my side means that the work is done in the best possible way, because we have a staff that has nothing to envy of that of other teams.”
What are the difficulties in being able to compete in Europe?
“We must not delude ourselves. Be ambitious, yes. The path in Europe has an important gap, but we must continue to work. I always think that by trying to work to improve we can get closer to the top European clubs. They started earlier, they have an important path and we must take an example from them. We must try to train good players, because here I think the best work will be done in the youth sectors. From now on, we will have players who will be able to give a hand to the club and the national team.”
The players are a bit like children, they always speak well of everyone. But are there examples to follow?
“The fact of having high-level footballers, because I am lucky enough to coach them, is important. One above all, Saki Kumagai, has won five Champions Leagues, a World Cup. She has won everywhere. She is an important player from a technical and technical point of view a point of reference for everyone. Even in Italy there are some important players: they can drive the younger ones.”
