Sousa 'the right man' for Fiorentina
Sunday, June 21, 2015
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Moreno Torricelli, a team-mate of Paulo Sousa at Juventus in the mid-1990s, has backed the Portuguese to be a success as coach of ACF Fiorentina.
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A past association with Juventus is not considered a plus by ACF Fiorentina fans, but the Viola's new coach Paulo Sousa can prove the doubters wrong by using the experience he gained in Turin under Marcello Lippi.
The former Portuguese international will be unveiled on Monday after agreeing terms with the UEFA Europa League contenders. Sousa takes over from Vincenzo Montella, the former Italy forward dismissed by Fiorentina earlier this month, having left his own post as coach of FC Basel 1893 on Wednesday, fresh from leading the Swiss side to championship victory and a place in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 last term.
Sousa's success as a coach – he also steered Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC to the 2013/14 Israeli title – is no surprise for those who followed his playing career. In the 1996 UEFA Champions League final, when Juventus defeated AFC Ajax on penalties in Rome, Sousa played alongside current Italy and France coaches Antonio Conte and Didier Deschamps in Lippi's 4-3-3 formation.
"Former midfielders often do well as coaches because the midfield is where you really build your success," Lippi said in a recent interview with Florence-based newspaper La Nazione. "Paulo Sousa has always been very technical and intelligent as a player. He was a leader in midfield, exactly like Conte and Deschamps. They were three great midfielders who led that side with their personality and now they are proving to be great coaches as well."
On his time at Juventus, the 44-year-old Sousa, who also played in Serie A for Parma FC and FC Internazionale Milano, recently said: "Conte and Deschamps were always very active in training with regard to the technical analysis and organisation. I was shyer when I was playing for Juve, but it was a great experience for me because I learned to express my opinions better in a certain way."
So will his Bianconeri links complicate things for him in Florence? His former Juve team-mate Moreno Torricelli, who represented both clubs, does not think so. "Paulo Sousa was a fantastic player and he is also doing very well as a coach. He has matured, he has learnt a lot in terms of tactics and he has travelled around Europe and learnt several languages and cultures. He is the right man for the new Fiorentina."
"I hope he will call me when he comes to Florence," Lippi added. "Viareggio, where I live, is not far and we can talk football while eating together by the sea." Sousa could also remind Lippi about the 1997 UEFA Champions League final, when he helped Borussia Dortmund overcome Juventus. The Fiorentina fans would certainly appreciate that ...