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My earlier posts regarding squad changes and tactics were admittedly very ambitious, far too ambitious, but this article does not possess the same degree of hopefulness and deliriousness.
Rather it attempts to confront a pressing issue that truly has a similar degree of importance as a managerial change, especially in a club like Inter with a strong Primavera program.
We have to properly develop the wide variety of youth players for readiness in Serie A. It's a shame that reserve squads can't play in the same football system as first teams, as is the case in Spain or Germany. Such a reality would provide youngsters with the development and guaranteed minutes they need, but even more than that, the flexibility between the two squads (reserve and first team) is incredibly beneficial, especially when the B team is in the second division.
However, because that isn't the case in Italy, there must be a tailored solution to the situation at hand. For the past few years, Udinese’s chairman Giampaolo Pozzo has purchased clubs across Europe, namely Watford F.C. and CF Granada, to act as satellite clubs where younger players can develop, switching players freely between these three teams. Of course, players on loan from Udinese don’t constitute a large portion of those squads, so it doesn’t have a similar relation to say, F.C. Barcelona B to F.C. Barcelona or Real Madrid Castilla to Real Madrid.
Following Pozzo's model, Napoli’s owner Aurelio de Laurentiis has openly mentioned his desire to purchase three clubs, including newly promoted Premier league team Crystal Palace, to act as satellite clubs for graduating Primavera talent.
There should be a team with Inter Primavera graduates playing together, where they can receive proper minutes and develop well; discovering football potential doesn’t convert it into usable talent.
Moratti should indirectly purchase a Serie C2 or Serie C1 team and fill it (for the most part) with Inter youth players. Lazio's President Claudio Lotito made a similar move with Salernitana in Serie D two years ago, a team heavily populated with Lazio Primavera graduates which has consecutively won both the fifth and fourth divisions.
Many of the readers will ask why it's not better to just loan out players for development instead of purchasing an entire club. The answer to that question lies in the fact that many of our players on loan aren’t getting consistent minutes, namely Bianchetti and Bessa, and it provides a more stable platform for development.
Especially the example of Denis Alibec who was exceptional in the Primavera a few years ago but has currently been doing poorly in the Romanian League demonstrates the importance of handling potential well.
We’d have to recruit a coach for this theoretical side that has a strong knowledge of tactics and development. Zdenek Zeman could be a very good choice, given his reputation for developing young attackers, but that would sacrifice defensive development and resilience at the back.
The best choice (imo) would be a successful Primavera coach (maybe Stramaccioni, but unlikely that he’d accept). Someone connected to Inter (as a former player or coach) should be in charge of this team, perhaps Luigi Simoni, who’s currently the technical director of Serie C1 club Gubbio.
It would be best if this squad could be in Serie B, but it is pretty unlikely that a team in that league would be willing to sell for an acceptable amount.
This model would allow Inter to observe how the youngsters are developing side by side, and it would be strictly u-23 with no exceptions.
Possible starting lineups in Serie C1/C2 with 4-3-3:
I think Pasa could do well as a DM, his original position.
This would be a considerably large investment on Moratti’s part, and personally I strongly believe it would be worth the money. Furthermore, there have been many clubs in the second, third, and fourth divisions that fall on the brink of bankruptcy, a position which can only be avoided with purchase and the clearing of all debt; this devalues the club by a significant factor, but often when a buyer cannot be found to clear all the finances, bankruptcy is declared and the team is relegated to Serie D (e.g. Real SPAL 1907), or even Eccelenza (e.g. U. Triestina 2012), depending on the magnitude of what is owed.
When this happens, Moratti can pounce and get a club significantly cheaper than if it wasn't experiencing financial difficulty.
Please leave a comment responding to my proposal for the establishment of an unofficial Inter u-23 team. I’d like to hear the opinion of this forum on this idea for a side devoted to the easement of the transition from Trofeo Giacinto Facchetti to Serie A, and hopefully this article answered the question highlighted in its title.
Rather it attempts to confront a pressing issue that truly has a similar degree of importance as a managerial change, especially in a club like Inter with a strong Primavera program.
We have to properly develop the wide variety of youth players for readiness in Serie A. It's a shame that reserve squads can't play in the same football system as first teams, as is the case in Spain or Germany. Such a reality would provide youngsters with the development and guaranteed minutes they need, but even more than that, the flexibility between the two squads (reserve and first team) is incredibly beneficial, especially when the B team is in the second division.
However, because that isn't the case in Italy, there must be a tailored solution to the situation at hand. For the past few years, Udinese’s chairman Giampaolo Pozzo has purchased clubs across Europe, namely Watford F.C. and CF Granada, to act as satellite clubs where younger players can develop, switching players freely between these three teams. Of course, players on loan from Udinese don’t constitute a large portion of those squads, so it doesn’t have a similar relation to say, F.C. Barcelona B to F.C. Barcelona or Real Madrid Castilla to Real Madrid.
Following Pozzo's model, Napoli’s owner Aurelio de Laurentiis has openly mentioned his desire to purchase three clubs, including newly promoted Premier league team Crystal Palace, to act as satellite clubs for graduating Primavera talent.
There should be a team with Inter Primavera graduates playing together, where they can receive proper minutes and develop well; discovering football potential doesn’t convert it into usable talent.
Moratti should indirectly purchase a Serie C2 or Serie C1 team and fill it (for the most part) with Inter youth players. Lazio's President Claudio Lotito made a similar move with Salernitana in Serie D two years ago, a team heavily populated with Lazio Primavera graduates which has consecutively won both the fifth and fourth divisions.
Many of the readers will ask why it's not better to just loan out players for development instead of purchasing an entire club. The answer to that question lies in the fact that many of our players on loan aren’t getting consistent minutes, namely Bianchetti and Bessa, and it provides a more stable platform for development.
Especially the example of Denis Alibec who was exceptional in the Primavera a few years ago but has currently been doing poorly in the Romanian League demonstrates the importance of handling potential well.
We’d have to recruit a coach for this theoretical side that has a strong knowledge of tactics and development. Zdenek Zeman could be a very good choice, given his reputation for developing young attackers, but that would sacrifice defensive development and resilience at the back.
The best choice (imo) would be a successful Primavera coach (maybe Stramaccioni, but unlikely that he’d accept). Someone connected to Inter (as a former player or coach) should be in charge of this team, perhaps Luigi Simoni, who’s currently the technical director of Serie C1 club Gubbio.
It would be best if this squad could be in Serie B, but it is pretty unlikely that a team in that league would be willing to sell for an acceptable amount.
This model would allow Inter to observe how the youngsters are developing side by side, and it would be strictly u-23 with no exceptions.
Possible starting lineups in Serie C1/C2 with 4-3-3:
I think Pasa could do well as a DM, his original position.
This would be a considerably large investment on Moratti’s part, and personally I strongly believe it would be worth the money. Furthermore, there have been many clubs in the second, third, and fourth divisions that fall on the brink of bankruptcy, a position which can only be avoided with purchase and the clearing of all debt; this devalues the club by a significant factor, but often when a buyer cannot be found to clear all the finances, bankruptcy is declared and the team is relegated to Serie D (e.g. Real SPAL 1907), or even Eccelenza (e.g. U. Triestina 2012), depending on the magnitude of what is owed.
When this happens, Moratti can pounce and get a club significantly cheaper than if it wasn't experiencing financial difficulty.
Please leave a comment responding to my proposal for the establishment of an unofficial Inter u-23 team. I’d like to hear the opinion of this forum on this idea for a side devoted to the easement of the transition from Trofeo Giacinto Facchetti to Serie A, and hopefully this article answered the question highlighted in its title.
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