Attitude And Guidance: Juventus Academy Chief Weighs In On What Keeps Maltese Players From Becoming Great
Let’s face it, the Maltese love football. And this love doesn’t end at the national level, either. More often than not, it has us look to countries near and far, to teams that are frequent attenders in top-level competitions.
As we know well enough, Malta’s presence in such competitions is few and far between. A sentiment that hits us hard in the feels, making us question everything from our own resources to individual attitudes to our genetics.
But well and truly, what is it that holds us back? One of Juventus FC’s very own youth-talent chiefs hits Lovin Malta and sheds some light.
Lorenzo Grossi, the man who oversees the Juventus Academy stationed here, in Malta, has been part of the Juventus family since 2007. Spearheading the management of various bianconeri camps across the continent makes him no stranger to talent, and the impasses which stop this talent dead in its tracks.
What is the most important quality youth players can pick up from top players?
“Young players need to learn from big players,” said Grossi. But not by way of technique or any physical quality that kids may or may not have.
There is something deeper.
“It’s mainly the mentality,” he insisted, “and it is the most difficult thing to transfer: to understand that sacrifice to [stick] to one’s goal is [the most important thing].”
It became evident that the key to stardom did not hide behind consistent work alone, but behind the deep-rooted understanding that one needs to give his absolute best, every single day. The understanding that drives one to embark upon a long, lonely road paved with hard work and yes… even suffering.
Lorenzo Grossi; photo by JAcademy Bydgoszcz on YouTube.
Does one need to go abroad to become great?
With most players in camp falling into the six-to-twelve year bracket, one must be doubly careful that their growth is monitored appropriately. That guidance is imparted in such a way that it develops their skillset like the blooming of a delicate flower.
‘Delicate’ because appropriate guidance could change the course of even the most gifted athletes.
Grossi, who had been circulating the Maltese camp for the better part of a week, remarked that the overall level of players in the academy was, in fact, good. That some even showed the will and maturity required to become big.
But much still hangs in the balance.
“It depends on how the coach trains them. In Italy, we have a lot of professional teams so when they find children, even ten-year-olds, performing well, they [sign them]. But Italy has over sixty million people.” Far more than Malta.
“At the moment, yes, I think [it’s best]. The same for many other countries. Though if football grows here, it would make a difference too.”
@lovinmaltaofficial What do you make of Grossi’s comments? Full interview on yesterday’s Lovin Daily 📲 #fyp #fypmalta #malta #lovinmalta #juve #coach #academy #football ♬ original sound – Lovin Malta
Starting them young is a sure way to get our kiddos going. But starting them in the right places, with the right people could be just as, if not more important.
Parents of aspiring athletes witness the perks of superior guidance themselves, particularly in the fourteen-to-sixteen-year bracket. According to Grossi, this is when scouts begin to understand whether the athlete in question can play for a pro club, or not.
Ultimately, Juventus have established a camp in Malta as a means to “transfer their methodology to the players,” Grossi insists.
And one needn’t look far to know that an entity that purports the philosophy: “fino alle fine (until the end),” sports some serious business.
What do you think Maltese athletes need to become great?