Blanc's coaching inspirations
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
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Ahead of the quarter-final with FC Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain boss Laurent Blanc reveals the three coaches who influenced him and his philosophy most throughout his career.
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Having given a tactical masterclass in guiding ten-man Paris Saint-Germain past Chelsea FC and into the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League, Laurent Blanc talks to UEFA.com about the three coaches who most influenced him and his footballing philosophy.
Gilbert Boissier
You won't know him but he was one of my first coaches at the age of 15 or 16. He was the first coach who made me understand that talent was not enough in football, or in sport in general. You need work to develop this talent. Believe me, looking back on my experience, it wasn't an easy point to get across. He managed to do that which is why I am naming him.
Sir Alex Ferguson
I was lucky enough during my professional career to work under some great coaches, but more than that they were great human beings. Man-management is getting more and more important. Sir Alex's football knowledge was huge but he made the difference at Manchester United through his mindset. He managed his players in a very human way – he knew them perfectly because he had known some of them since they were 13, 14, 15.
He was more than a manager, more than a coach – he was almost a father figure. It really made me think about how a coach works. A coach can be efficient on the pitch, in choosing the team lineup, in his tactics, in his talks during a game or at half-time, but he also has to manage his squad on a human level. His is the example that I try to take inspiration from. It's not an easy task.
Marcello Lippi
Week in, week out, he was able to tactically analyse the opponents we were going to face at the weekend. He knew how to tweak his weekly schedule based on the opponents we were facing, which is also very impressive.