Head coach Gianluca Zambrotta has transformed Delhi Dynamos into a winning combination. At the end of nine matches, Dynamos lead the table under the able guidance of the Italian. He shares his views with The Hindu .
How has been your experience with Indian players?
It has been a very good experience to see the Indian players closely because Indian football and the ISL are showing tremendous growth. They are young, hard-working and always eager to learn more. I think that’s the key for the future.
How important are full-backs in modern football?
The full-back is a very important position in football. In Italy, we are producing some good players like Zappacosta, Antonelli, De Sciglio and Darmian. Internationally too, there are some great full-backs like Dani Alves at Juventus, Jordi Alba at Barcelona, Marcelo at Real Madrid and others like Lahm in Germany. These players have made a huge difference in the last ten years.
Thoughts on some of the coaches coming out of Italy?
At the moment, Italy is producing some really good quality coaches. In my opinion they are doing a good job. In Italy there is a good tradition of tactical and technical football. Also you have to recognise that the Italian coaches are doing really well in the international market. We have a lot of examples like Conte (Chelsea), Ranieri (Leicester), Prandelli (Valencia), Ancelotti (Bayern), Lippi and Cannavaro in the China market.
Why did you choose to come to India?
I decided to come to India because I saw that India presents a real opportunity for me to grow up as a professional. It’s true that the ISL is doing a good job and if they continue with a good academy system, they is a lot of possibility of becoming a powerhouse.
Has the ISL caught the attention back in Italy? Will more Italians take up jobs in the league?
Of course, Materazzi has been here for three years. This is my first year. We will do our best to spread a lot of information about the ISL in Italy.
