He is not a foreign coach who has come to Africa without pedigree. He is undoubtedly one of the true icons of the Italian game.
He began his professional career at his hometown club Brescia in the 1978/79 season and joined AS Roma in 1980. It was with the Giallorossi that he made his mark and he remained with them until 1986, apart from a short spell in between when he played for Sampdoria in 1982/83. He played for Roma when they lost on penalties to Liverpool in the famous European cup finals in Rome in 1984, when they were Serie A runners-up three times and when they won the Copa Italia three times.
He would move on to an unhappy spell at AC Milan in 1986 before joining Verona a year later. Two years later, he was on the move again. This time he joined the old lady of Italian football. He stayed with Juventus for two years, winning the Uefa Cup and the Copa Italia in 1989/1990.
He returned to Sampdoria in 1991 and starred alongside Gianluca Vialli and Roberto Mancini as they reached the 1992 European Cup final, losing 0-1 to Barcelona at Wembley.
Dario was a feared defender and, in his time,he set a record of 39 suspensions.
Dario began his management career in Genoa with amateur side Sestrese, where his brother Ivano played. They would both export their managerial talent to Scotland when they coached Dundee between 2000-2002. This time Dario was Ivano’s technical assistant.
In 2005 he was head coach of Potenza in the Serie C2 and in February 2005 he joined Hungarian side MFC Sopron. He was sacked on the last day of the season. He was recalled in March 2007 but only for a brief spell as he returned to Italy, this time as Serie C Club Gallipoli’s coach (in late June 2007, ahead of the 2007/2008 season).
On December 2008 he was appointed as the new head coach of Lega Pro Prima Divisione team Juve Stabia and joined the famous Dynamo Bucharest in June 2009. He was fired for comments about the Club’s shareholders in October that year. He also coached Lega Pro Prima Divisione team Valle del Giovenco until February 2010.
Dario comes from a great footballing tradition. His father, Aldo, played for Brescia before the Second World War; his brother Ivano, a former player and manager, is currently director of football of Lega Pro Prima Divisione club AS Pescina Valle del Giovenco and another brother, Mario, played for serie A side Atalanta.
He became Zambia’s coach in July, 2010.
SuperSport.com: How have you settled into life in Africa and Zambia in particular?
Bonetti: The quality of life is okay. It was quite a surprise for me.
SuperSport.com: What qualified you for this job?
Bonetti: I am working in Africa for the first time. I spent my entire playing career in Italy and two years coaching in Dundee. We earned the right to play in Europe for the first time in 40 years. I spent two years in Hungary with FC Sopron and worked with Dynamo Bucharest in Romania.
SuperSport.com: How are you enjoying the job? What excites you about working in Zambia?
Bonetti: I have the opportunity to work with good players. Zambian players are technically gifted and it’s been quite a delight seeing what technical ability they showcase.
SuperSport.com: How would you describe the Afcon 2012 campaign so far?
Bonetti: At the moment we are topping the group and have shown that we are the strongest team in the group. Our first game was with a young Comoros team; our next game was in Libya where I must say we lost because the referee committed a big mistake.
SuperSport.com: How do you see your remaining matches?
Bonetti: Our next game is against the Comoros.
SuperSport.com: What has helped you the most in this campaign?
Bonetti: We are lucky to have lots of players in South Africa and also in the Congo, plus the ones playing at home in Zambia. So it’s a lot easier to get the team together.
SuperSport.com: How did you overcome a very strong Mozambique?
Bonetti: Mozambique was always going to be a difficult opponent and has a team that has recently shown its capability in Africa. We prepared very well for Mozambique. They have quality players but the fact that we won home and away shows how far we have progressed.
SuperSport.com: Was it important to bring your own physical trainer from Italy as we can see?
Bonetti: That is our method. We do the physical conditioning and tactical conditioning together. It is important to be fast. Co-ordination is key.
SuperSport.com: How has the team progressed or improved under your management?
Bonetti: The players can do better. If we remember how they qualified for the last Afcon in Angola the last time, they were third. Now we are first. We are watching the younger players coming through; Musona, Chansa, Mbesuma and Kennedy Mwene are still there. So you can say we have got a good mix of young and experienced players. I’d say we have some really good senior players.
Our main and immediate focus is to qualify and we will then get into the intensive one-month camp before the event. We will be ready. We can be the best.
SuperSport.com: What then is your overall mandate? Brazil 2014?
Bonetti: We have a good group and they are young. We have two Africa nations cups in 2012 and 2013 and this will be perfect for the team to get ready for the world cup qualification in Brazil 2014. We must qualify first for the Afcon. If our players will have the same concentration then we will go. The key is mental quality.
SuperSport.com: What about your playing career?
Bonetti: I became a pro at 17 and played for the best team. I learned a lot. The Italian team won the world cup four times. In 1982, our team was a great team but Brazil was the best team at the world cup. It is important that you go for victory.
SuperSport.com: What are some of the challenges you have to deal with in Zambia?
Bonetti: The major problems are the lack of better facilities and the poor state of the infrastructure. That is being gradually addressed with the new 40 000 seater stadium but that’s just one; that’s not enough. The clubs need good facilities to train and organise their teams. They are starting to make progress. They have good players.
SuperSport.com: When the Zambian anthem plays before kick-off, where does your loyalty lie?
Bonetti: I feel very proud and honoured to coach Zambia. I feel very good and happy to be there. The moment of the anthem is a moment of pride in one’s country and it is definitely more for the Zambians.
SuperSport.com: The general impression these days is that foreign coaches are just there for the money. They don’t really feel the patriotism that a local coach would feel with the players when the anthem goes on?
Bonetti: Everybody works for the money. It doesn’t matter what your job is.You will get paid for your work. It’s not enough to feel the anthem. Winning is the most important thing to make the people happy. Work with your heart for the people.
You must know it’s important. The players must be committed. You must remember that you are in the dreams of your people.
SuperSport.com: So far, you are yet to play any of the big teams in Africa. How can you show that you are ready to challenge for honours?
Bonetti: Until now we haven’t played any of the big teams but football is difficult to understand sometimes. In one game you can beat Brazil but over a tournament, over a series of matches, you need to be at your best. You need to be consistent. I would like to play them if the opportunity presents itself.
SuperSport.com: Did you watch any of the World Cup matches?
Bonetti: I watched Nigeria versus Argentina and I must say I was very impressed with the way the Nigerians played. They were incredibly fast. The future of football is definitely Africa. It is possible to see the African countries have different cultural influences.
Argentina is so talented they can have three national teams at any given point in time. The key to Nigeria’s victory in that game was experience and motivation. They were very tactical and we didn’t see that with their team at the last World Cup. This was refreshingly different.
However, you can’t play at the same pace and motivation with different opposition, as their game with Ethiopia showed a couple of days later.
SuperSport.com: So what then will be the key ingredient for African teams to succeed at the highest level?
Bonetti: Three key factors to consider would be attitude, concentration and motivation.
SuperSport.com: Your thoughts on Bafana Bafana at the World Cup?
Bonetti: Bafana Bafana gained valuable experience with their young team at the World Cup. They played under quite some pressure and despite failing to advance as hosts; they have begun to build on that experience and are looking really formidable.
SuperSport.com: Which other African teams impressed you?
Bonetti: Ghana is incredible especially going as far as the quarterfinals against Uruguay. It was one of the best matches in the history of the world cup. This was football at its best and with so much drama.
Bonetti: Ivory Coast has maybe the most talented team in Africa with so many high profile players. Their problem was their mentality. You must score before you can live up to the hype. If you outplay Brazil, you must remember that they can create situations where they can score, like corners, free kicks and other set-pieces, even when they play badly.
SuperSport.com: Final question Dario. One would imagine that, being Italian, your team will be forced into a strait jacket, catenaccio and all the defensive nuances Italians are famous for?
Bonetti: When you lose the ball, it makes you work so much harder. We keep the ball and then we prepare to attack. You must go vertical, because without the ball you spend more energy.
No comments:
Post a Comment