The Boot Room
Issue 10 August 2014
Inside Club Italia: an overview of Sacchi’s programme
Sacchi implemented a unified approach
to developing young Italian players using an overarching vision
Arrigo Sacchi, 68, never played football professionally and was a shoe salesman before embarking on his hugely respected coaching career. It was these humble beginnings which led to the famous quote that ended questions about his coaching credibility: "I never realised that in order to become a jockey you have to have been a horse first".
Recognised for his professorial but abrasive approach to coaching, Sacchi who won the club game's greatest honours with AC Milan and was within a penalty kick of international football's greatest prize - his Italy team at USA '94 losing the World Cup final on penalties after Roberto Baggio’s miss.
As well as educating some of the world's greatest players, Arrigo Sacchi is also accredited as having influenced numerous players who have gone on to enjoy great success in management. Former players who have gone on to win the Champions League as managers include former Milan midfielders Frank Rijkaard and Carlo Ancelotti. Roberto Donadoni, Marco Van Basten and Rijkaard, all who played in the same Milan team, progressed on to become International Team managers.
Sacchi, who began his coaching career at 27 and was never sacked, cites the ingredients of a successful coach as: passion, professionalism, work ethic, striving for continual excellence and luck (which he says comes as a result of enthusiasm and motivation)
Technical/Tactical Training programme
Players are brought up to understand different systems, with a focus on playing 4 – 4 – 2 and 4 – 2 – 3 – 1. Sacchi has introduced the importance of the style in which teams play and the manner in which they win games rather than just simply winning. This is followed all the way through to the senior team.
The stated technical objectives of the development programme include: developing multi-dimensional players who understand how to play Italian total football.
Much work is done in 11v11 game realistic practices with one group challenged to build play out from the back and one team challenged to press. Although there is greater focus on possession and build up play, Sacchi stressed that there is still a lot of work done on the structured organisation of pressing as a team.
After all national team sessions all the coaches involved review a video of the session and discuss areas of improvement ahead of the next training camp.
National teams – games programme 2012 / 13
Team Sacchi’s greatest
1. Brazil - 1970 2. Hungary - 1954 3. Holland - 1974 4. AC Milan - 1989
ever team We asked Sacchi where he would place his great AC Milan side in the list of all time great sides. Here’s his answer:
U21 U20 U19 U18 U17 U16 U15
Number of games
18 12 15 12 23 14 11
96 games were played against other nations and 14 games were played against Italian clubs, such as Roma. International games are organised against strong and varied opposition from different continents.
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