Serie A TIM SABATINI SETS SIGHTS ON "FOOTBALL UTOPIA"
Walter Sabatini gave his first news conference today, following his appointment to the role of technical director at Sampdoria. The new addition to the Blucerchiati leadership team opened the conference by thanking president Massimo Ferrero, as well as legal and sporting directors Antonio Romei and Carlo Osti.
“Right from the beginning they’ve shown me respect but also friendship. It’s been great coming here to Sampdoria,” he said.
“I’ll be able to do two things here: first and foremost, push for football utopia, just as I did at Palermo, and secondly, repay a debt. Seven years ago I had to abandon a commitment I made to Riccardo Garone, as I’d already given my word elsewhere. I remember the look of disappointment and now, many years later, I feel like I’m repaying that debt.”
Sabatini continued: “When you work for a club that, initially, is considered of a lower standing you need to push to reach utopia, perhaps even with a bit of arrogance too. You need to think that your club is at the same standing as those at the top: Juventus, Roma, Inter and so on. So I’ll maintain the approach I adopted at Palermo.
“I will never forget the time I almost qualified for the Champions League with them. Sampdoria won in Rome and took that away from us. I think Sampdoria can now give me back what they took away from me back then!”
The new technical director is not someone who takes kindly to losing, and he has no problem expressing that. “I’m not a little boy. Even though I’m a grown up, I cannot deal with defeat. I hate losing – it makes me lose sleep and I blame myself. I’m continually battling against defeat, something that is of course inevitable in football. Every time I lose it’s like the first time. So, if I have to deal with it, I want as little as possible.”
Sabatini also reserved some positive remarks for the man that will be taking charge of matters from the bench. “One of the reasons I came here is the coach: Marco Giampaolo. I know him from way back, when he was assistant coach at Giulianova. My instinct tells me he will be the demiurge of Sampdoria, meaning he won’t only mould footballing ideas but a way of being both for the team and for the club. I think he’s got a great background, almost perfect. That said he can be a bit too pragmatic and could allow himself a smidgeon of swagger. He’s one of Europe’s best coaches.
“Sampdoria have produced some huge displays in recent times, but they’ve lost their way in matches that would appear more winnable. Every team has their target, but the critics like to decide that for themselves. We’ll be in the crosshairs of the media and broadcasters, but we shouldn’t believe in how others rate us but how we rate ourselves.
“We need to reach for those heights that others have reached. Everyone – the players and the manager – need to mould themselves. I want to feel part of a great team. We need to think about reaching the sublime, and that can only be European football.”
When asked about the summer transfer window, the new technical director said: “We want to integrate the squad, making the right choices. It’s not just about having good players but having a good idea. That needs to be fed by conduct that supports this. Before my arrival, the club was already doing great work and now we’ll try and bolster that, with a squad that is now almost ready for the training camp.”
To conclude, when asked about the club’s current dimensions, he said: “If clubs like Sampdoria can’t generate gains now, they won’t keep up with the footballing powers. Giampaolo will have a permanent football laboratory. I know how good he is – I look at him as a centre forward. I tried to bring him to Roma, when he was at Cesena, many years ago. He deserves to be considered among the best.”
(Photo Sampdoria)
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Source: legaseriea.it