«Eight years ago I was responsible for the youth sector of Cagliari. One day the Olbia managers, with whom we had a collaborative relationship, called me to ask me for advice on which coach to hire. I made a suggestion: Michele Mignani.” From his office in Coverciano, where today he teaches central courses for coaches, Mario Beretta answers the phone and willingly remembers what happened in January 2016, when the former Cesena coach was working in Sardinia. «Michele was a collaborator of mine first in Siena and then in Latina, I saw him develop and above all grow alongside me, and I am happy to have mentioned his name that day. Just as I am delighted to know that next year he will coach Cesena, the ideal place for him.”
Beretta, what kind of technician is Mignani?
«I start with the man, then we move on to the coach. Cesena has chosen a very good person. Michele is serious, honest, measured and very polite, he is a man with great values. Then he comes as the coach. I saw him grow and today I can define him as an excellent coach, because he has a complete baggage. He worked in the youth teams, in Serie D, in C and then in B, where he was just a few seconds away from Serie A. In these experiences he never speculated, but always looked for results through play and a clear identity. precise. This is the business card with which he arrives in Cesena.”
Do you agree with those who define him as a pragmatic and concrete coach?
«It depends on what exactly we mean by pragmatic. Michele is not only practice but also theory. He knows how to be concrete, but he is not a coach who improvises, nor even a fundamentalist coach, because he always knows how to adapt. In Palermo he played with a three-man defence, in Bari he played with a four-man defence. Flexibility for me is the key word and it is a word that represents it. Finally, throughout his career he has always had excellent relationships with the players. He knows the dynamics and knows how important the relationship is.”
What can you give to Cesena and how can it be in a place that you knew 12 years ago?
«How can you feel bad in Cesena? For me he will be fine. The experiences he had previously were also strong, in places with a strong sense of belonging. I mention Bari and Palermo, but also Modena and Siena, where Michele lives and where he was captain. Many of these realities resemble Cesena. He will be able to ride the sense of belonging of your fans, who had 10,000 spectators at the stadium also in D. Manuzzi is always an added value for the team, passion is fundamental. He will know how to drag and be dragged, despite being a very balanced person. Then everything revolves around the result, but the enthusiasm of the promotion is the first weapon to be used and he will use it.”
In your career you have had two experiences together, first in Siena and then in Latina.
«We faced each other as opponents, he as a player and I as a coach. He came out of Siena’s youth sector, president Mezzaroma decided to expand my staff and so Michele came in as my and Canzi’s collaborator. When I went to Latina, I chose to bring him too, who then remained with Breda after my dismissal. From that moment on he learned to walk on his own. When he went to Olbia, I was in Cagliari and I mentioned him because I had no doubts about Michele’s qualities. In fact, they won the playoffs and Olbia went to Serie C.”
Did you subsequently follow Mignani’s path?
«Of course, even if from afar, watching matches and results. He has chosen an excellent deputy like Vergassola, another guarantee just like Michele, and he has a teacher like Giorgio D’Urbano, who was my athletic trainer in Siena in two different years and in Latina. Composing a quality staff is already synonymous with ability and intelligence.”
What effect does seeing Cesena in Serie B have on you?
«After six years of purgatory it is beautiful. I had a good time in Cesena and I have fantastic memories. I would have gladly stayed in Serie B the following year too, because it’s too good in Cesena. And someone who was relegated in Cesena tells you this…”.
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