World Football Interview Portfolio for Steve Amoia

Image courtesy of Stock.xchng.

Testimonial

"Steve has been an invaluable addition to Keeper Skool. His writing pieces are always well structured and his research is second to none.

Steve has interviewed many high level goalkeeper coaches and celebrities from around the world in the Keeper Skool network and his interview techniques bring out a natural rapport with respondents, allowing Keeper Skool to have what I believe to be some of the most exclusive interviews in our niche today.

His fluency of Spanish and Italian has also proved beneficial in translating interviews with high profile goalkeeper coaches from both Italy and the Americas. I recommend Steve to anyone looking for a writer to help maximize their readership and boost their content, online or off."

John Stevanja, October 2008, Sydney, Australia.

John Stevanja is the owner and publisher of Keeper Skool.

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Beyond The Pitch (USA): 2011

• Brief Interview with James Dorsey, "The Turbulent World of Mideast Soccer." (September 2011)
• Interview with Dan Colasimone, Founder of Argentina Football World and Hand of Pod: From La Máquina to Religión Maradoniana to An Age Of Messi (June 2011)
  

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Calcio Connection: AC Cugini Scuola Calcio (Italian Soccer School/USA): From 2005 to 2007.

• Alex Bellos, Journalist, Author, and Webmaster of “Futebol, The Brazilian Way of Life"
• Pierre Bonello, Creator and Webmaster of Forza Azzurri Statistics
• Andrés Cantor, Founding Partner of Fútbol de Primera, and the Voice of Soccer for the Telemundo Network
• Ricardo Celis, Journalist and Presenter of Telefutura Contacto Deportivo de Ford and Solo Boxeo
• Francesca Di Meglio, Journalist with Business Week Online and Italiansrus.com
• Enzo Francescoli, CEO and Founder of GolTV
• Steven Goff, Soccer Writer and Editor for The Washington Post
• Mick Hoban, President of SoccerSolutions, LLC
• John Koskinen, President of the United States Soccer Foundation in Washington, DC
• Alexi Lalas, President and General Manager of the Los Angeles Galaxy
• Danilo Paparazzo, Creator and Author of The Juventus Page
• Phil Ploquin, Creator, Author, and Webmaster of Histora.org, The World Football Historian
• Jim Riggio, Italy Correspondent for ESPN SoccerNet

Archived Interviews from AC Cugini

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Football Media (UK): During 2008.

• The Art and Science of Interviewing: An article about tips and techniques.

• The Craft of Journalism: A Discussion with Investigative Journalist, Andrew Jennings.
  

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Italian Soccer Serie A (USA): 2010 to 2011.

• Paul Visca, Journalist at Infront Sports and Media and Serie A Match Commentator for Fox Soccer Plus: December 2010.

• Interview with Julian Movsesian of DiBenedetto AS Roma LLC: February 2011.

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Keeper Skool (Australia): During 2008.

• Dr. Craig Duncan, Athletic Preparation Expert from Sydney, Australia
• Don Mullan, Author of "A Hero Who Could Fly," from Dublin, Ireland (60 minute podcast.)
• Galileo Galilei "Leo" Percovich, Goalkeeper Coach of Chivas (Los Angeles) USA (30 minute podcast with some live Spanish interpretation.)
• Claudio Rapacioli, Goalkeeper Coach for Piacenza Calcio from Piacenza, Italy (Italian to English translation of the entire interview.)
• Tom Scott, Head Coach of Shot Stoppers from Glasgow, Scotland
• Michael Toshack, Goalkeeper Coach of the Houston Dynamo (45 minute podcast.)

Please Note:

These interviews may only be viewed with a special access code from Keeper Skool. The respective links will take you to a page with a brief overview of each discussion.

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Soccerlens Football News Blog (UK): From 2007 to 2008.

• Ian Blanchard Discusses the Offside Law: Euro 2008 (Holland v. Italy)
• Ian Blanchard, Head of National Referee Development for the English Football Association
• Paul Blank, Football Photographer
• Andrés Cantor, Founding Partner of Fútbol de Primera, and the Voice of Soccer for the Telemundo Network
• Adrian Clarke, former Arsenal and Southend player, co-owner of Sport Media Solutions
• Enzo Francescoli, CEO and Founder of GolTV
• Steven Goff of Soccer Insider and the Washington Post
• Diego Gutierrez of the Chicago Fire: 2007 MLS Humanitarian of the Year
• Andrew Jennings, Investigative Journalist, Author of "Foul!: The Secret World of FIFA." A four part interview, along with an hour long podcast.
• John Koskinen, President of the United States Soccer Foundation
• Eddie Marles, North and Latin America Managing Director for AC Milan
• Luma Mufleh, Youth Coach and Founder of the Fugees Family
• Ruben Olthuis, Creator of Best Players Directory and Brazilian Football Websites
• Dr. Craig Panther from Pure Sports Medicine of London, the Medical Officer of Fulham FC
  

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World Football Commentaries: From 2008 to present.

• Professor Dennis Coates, Author of "World Cup Economics: What Americans Need to Know About a U.S. World Cup Bid": September 2010.
• Julian Movsesian, partner in the new ownership group, DiBenedetto AS Roma LLC: February 2011.
• "Ronaldo," Founder of 101 Great Goals: September 2008.

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• Interviews by Contributors at World Football Commentaries
  
  
• Adrian Clarke, Former Arsenal Footballer by Henrik Hegedus in September 2008.
  
• A Discussion between Grant Wahl and Dan Leo: A Four-Part interview conducted by Dan Leo in November 2009.
• Chat with a Champion: Interview with Former New York Cosmos Star and American Soccer Legend, Angelo DiBernardo, by Ken Sweda in February 2011.
• Jay Enrique Rodriguez of Burnley FC by Carmelo Ruggieri in December 2008.
  

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A Discussion between Grant Wahl and Dan Leo: "It's clear that for the current president of U.S. Soccer, knowledge of the US game matters..."

Editor's Note

This interview was originally published at World Football Commentaries in November 2009.


Image courtesy
of Sports Illustrated.

Grant Wahl is a Senior Writer at Sports Illustrated where he covers college and professional basketball, along with international soccer. He has been with the venerable magazine since 1996, and has written 31 cover stories, along with over 200 featured articles.


Image courtesy of Amazon.com
and Crown Books.

A few months ago, he published his first book, "The Beckham Experiment," with Crown Books. It was a New York Times best seller.



Dan Leo is a freelance writer from Miami, Florida. He has written about American and international soccer for Soccerlens and World Football Commentaries.

Dan Leo Archive

Dan and Grant will discuss the following topics:

• The perspective of an American soccer journalist versus someone who grew up in Eastern Europe
  
• Comparing mainstream US sports commentary versus American soccer announcers
  
• Conflicting views about the USSF (United States Soccer Federation)
  
• Foreign versus domestic national team managers for the American project
  
• Analysis about Bruce Arena, Bob Bradley, Ruud Gullit, and Jürgen Klinsmann
  

A Discussion between Grant Wahl and Dan Leo

Grant, welcome to World Football Commentaries. I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak with you. Let's get started.

A global soccer journalist is likely to have been immersed in the game since birth. An American soccer journalist, to the contrary, is far more likely to grow up with other sports.

What perspective does one gain from knowing the finer points of American football or basketball and what bits of knowledge are missing to a relative newcomer?

Grant Wahl

Like a lot of American kids, I actually did grow up with soccer, but I grew up playing and not so much watching the professional game. When you're a 10-year-old soccer player in America, you can get a handle on the offside rule, but it's harder to get immersed in the tactics and culture of the pro game in the way you might be in England or Argentina. I've tried to make up for that over the past 10 to 15 years since I became a soccer journalist.

I don't think there is a lot of overlap between soccer and American football, but I do think there is between soccer and basketball (the other sport I cover for SI). The passing, the creativity, the flow, the triangles: Soccer and basketball have many similarities, which I think is why you often find that fans of one sport also follow the other. I think it's also why soccer and basketball are the world's two most popular sports. I admit that my weak spot in my soccer journalism (and U.S. soccer journalism in general) is writing about tactics and strategy. Realizing that, I have been trying to make up for it by learning as much as possible. There are many ways to do that. I'm currently reading the book "Inverting the Pyramid" by Jonathan Wilson. It's about the history of soccer tactics.

Kobe Bryant grew up playing soccer in Italy. As a child,
he supported AC Milan. He actively supports FC Barcelona
and the Los Angeles Sol.

"She (Marta) plays with such a passion, such a love for the game, so much creativity, I just find myself being glued to the TV set watching her play."

Mr. Bryant was quoted in 2009 at the presentation news conference of Marta Vieira da Silva.

Dan Leo

I grew up on European and International soccer but I assert that most kids worldwide are still clueless on the intricacies of WM vs. 4-2-4 despite having an outstanding grasp of the fundamentals - basic movement, ball trapping, shooting, etc. that comes from playing thousands of hours of pick-up ball before adulthood. In the olden days, televised contests had a single commentator who rarely delved into deep tactics while talking to his audience. Those discussions were reserved for specific magazines with a very limited circulations for the most dedicated fans. Where I was from, the half-time analysis did not exist and a cartoon or a short news feature was shown in between the action on the field.

In general, American TV coverage with its slew of ex-coaches, super slo-mo replays and telestrators has always been far ahead of its competition. After coming to the US, I was stunned by the concept of a pre-game show (to say nothing of Phyllis George) and the professionalism devoted to the event. Say what you will about the purely entertainment value of the John Maddens, Joe Garagiolas, Ken Venturis and Al McGuires, their commentaries were priceless to a newcomer. They were my teachers.

Legendary coach and commentator, John Madden.

And, having watched far too many Super Bowls and Final Fours, what I quickly noticed was how strong the emphasis was on the individual match-ups in basketball and football, where almost every conceivable variable is addressed to a minute detail. In other words, any weak attribute - be it lack of size, speed or an outside shot - is the target of the game day's scheme. But Madden and McGuire made the complex easy and were able to translate their love for their sports onto others.

Is there a similar fusion of knowledge and personality in the US? Is one needed?

Grant Wahl

You present an interesting discussion. Is your question at the end specifically about U.S. soccer? I would say that U.S. soccer is still looking for a television commentator who can combine a deep knowledge of the sport's intricacies with a big personality that can be picked up by viewers. The people who have that personality (Alexi Lalas, Ray Hudson) tend to shy away from getting too in-depth when discussing the intricacies of the sport itself. Maybe that will change in the future.

You do make a good point that soccer coverage outside the U.S. may not get into hardcore tactical discussions for kids, but I do get the sense that it happens more in some countries than in others. I think it could be increased a bit here in the U.S. as well.

Alexi Lalas is one of the most

recognized faces in American
soccer. He was the first American
to play in the Italian Serie A with
Padova in 1994, and was capped
96 times for the USA.

"If I were a manager in Italy, I would definitely bring a bunch of Americans over.
They’re cheap, they work hard and they learn very quickly."

Mr. Lalas was quoted during an interview with Steve Amoia in 2006.

Dan Leo

You were correct in that a mythical figure I had in mind was someone who could be both an ambassador of the game and its ombudsman; someone who could praise and criticize without an ulterior motive, a hint of self-promotion or a fear for his job due to the pressure from the top. Which segues into the USSF as the governing body of soccer in this country.

As someone who had long term contacts with the top hierarchy of this organization, what can you infer about its goals and ambitions? A corporate bureaucracy tends to maintain a status quo and hire people indebted to it. Bruce Arena, Bob Bradley, Sigi Schmid, Thomas Rongen, et al appear to be such types. An outsider may entail greater risks while presenting an opportunity for greater rewards but inert bodies have trouble gaining momentum.

Is the USSF becoming an end game onto itself or is it capable of stepping out of its comfort zone?

Grant Wahl

I have a hard time understanding why the U.S. Soccer Federation often gets characterized as this all-powerful organization exerting so much pressure on coaches, the media, etc. I have not found that to be the case. When it comes down to it, the USSF is still an American soccer organization that is trying to generate increased exposure (and better results) in a crowded U.S. sports landscape that doesn't pay much attention to soccer.

As a media member I know more about my own experience dealing with the USSF, and I haven't found it to be any different than my experiences covering college basketball for Sports Illustrated. There are times when I have criticized U.S. Soccer for legitimate reasons, and I haven't found that my access for interviews has been limited or threatened. Perhaps people at other media outlets have had different experiences, but those are mine.

As for coaches, U.S. Soccer did hire a non-American coach in Bora Milutinovic before the 1994 World Cup, and for the most part that worked out pretty well. The USSF also pursued a foreign coach in Jürgen Klinsmann in 2006. If Klinsmann had been hired, it was likely that he would have made many changes to player development and other areas. I'm not sure whether he would have been successful, but it would have been fascinating to see what would have taken place.

Personally, I don't think there's a magic bullet when it comes to choosing a coach for the U.S. men's team. The most successful World Cup run in U.S. history came under an American coach (Bruce Arena). Would I love to see how the U.S. would do under, say, Guus Hiddink? Sure. But I also think that Bob Bradley has put the U.S. in a position to qualify for the 2010 World Cup and be successful there.* And I think that he has done it without having to be concerned very much with the political structure of the U.S. Soccer Federation.

Editor's Note

*Mr. Wahl's comment was made before the US qualified for the World Cup.

Jürgen Klinsmann played professionally in Germany,
Monaco, France, Italy, and England. He won the World Cup
with Germany as a player in 1990, and managed "die Mannschaft"
to third place in 2006 (5W-1T-1L.) He also won the European
Cup of Nations in 1996. He was capped 108 times with 47 goals
for his country. Mr. Klinsmann donated the entire proceeds
(US $1.3 million) from his farewell game to charities.
Before his coaching tenure with the German National Team and Bayern
Munich, he was a consultant for the Los Angeles Galaxy.

"Whatever vision we have today, Jürgen Klinsmann had a lot to do with it."

Mr. Tim Leiweke, AEG/Los Angeles Galaxy, as quoted on page 146 of "The Beckham Experiment" by Grant Wahl.

"Soccer is a transcendent influence around the world."

--- Jürgen Klinsmann

Mr. Klinsmann's quote, along with the cited donation amount, are courtesy of SoccerSolutions, LLC.

Dan Leo

I agree that the US is in a good position to qualify for the WC 2010.* I would argue, however, that its ability to advance out of its group greatly depends on a favorable draw.

Also, my contention wasn't about the USSF's omnipotence per se but rather of its tolerance of mediocrity. If USSF had managed to cobble together substantial funds for its new manager and his assistants, what criteria should Sunil Gulati and Dan Flynn have been looking for during their coaching interview process?

USSF President Professor Sunil Gulati with Dr. Henry Kissinger,
a consultant for the American World Cup 2018 & 2022 bids.

"Soccer has never taken hold in the United States because neither a national team nor a national style has been encouraged."

Dr. Kissinger was quoted by the Los Angeles Times in 1986.

If Klinsmann was indeed one of the hottest USMNT candidates prior in 2006, why drop from his resume to someone like Bradley's? Granted, there are no guarantees in sport but would a Top 25 NCAA** basketball program be contemplating a Division III*** type of a coach, which is where MLS is rated statistically? Or should the candidate search have included only previously successful international managers? After all, isn't that the general principle that Tim Leiweke tried to follow with the Los Angeles Galaxy?

Editor's Notes

*Mr. Leo's comment was made before the US qualified.
**Top 25 NCAA equals the elite level of American college basketball.
***Division III is the third tier of the American college sports league structure.

Grant Wahl

If you followed the logic that MLS is too low-level to provide a good U.S. coach, then the man who led the U.S. to its most impressive World Cup performance ever (Bruce Arena) never would have been hired. Would Sven-Goran Eriksson have been a better hire for the U.S. job than Bob Bradley? Personally, I don't think so (nor did I in 2006), and that's not even taking into account that Eriksson would have cost millions more.

It's clear that for the current president of U.S. Soccer, knowledge of the U.S. game matters as one of the criteria when it comes to hiring a coach for the U.S. national team. In fact, Klinsmann's awareness of the American game was one of the main reasons why he was the top candidate in 2006. Does this mean that elite international coaches who have no connection to U.S. soccer should be eliminated from future consideration? No. But does it help to know something about the unique nature of American soccer? I'd say yes.

I do think it's unfortunate that the U.S. isn't always able to participate with a full-strength squad in a major tournament between World Cups like the European Championship or the Copa América. (The Gold Cup just isn't prestigious enough to count.) In the Euro, especially, national-team coaches are required to get results in order to keep their jobs. If you're the U.S. coach, job-accountability tournaments only really happen every four years at the World Cup.

So yeah, I do wish there were more opportunities to measure a U.S. coach's job performance. And while Bradley's teams don't play like, say, Brazil, if you look at the criteria we do have to measure his results Bradley has done well by any reasonable measure. His U.S. team is on track to qualify for the 2010 World Cup.* In the two biggest tournaments in which he has had his full squad, Bradley reached the final of the Confederations Cup (beating world No. 1 Spain and giving Brazil all it could handle in a 3-2 loss) and won the 2007 Gold Cup.

But let's be clear: Bradley's tenure will be measured by how the U.S. does in South Africa.

Editor's Note

*Mr. Wahl's comment was made before the US qualified for the World Cup.

US Coach Bob Bradley and Mexican manager, Javier Aguirre
last August at el Estadio Azteca. Coach Bradley assisted
Bruce Arena at the University of Virginia, DC United,
and the US National team. He won MLS Cup 1998 with
the Chicago Fire. He also managed the Metrostars and
Chivas USA. According to ESPN, Coach Bradley's
record on the US bench is 38W-21L-8T as of August 2010.

"The record of the team over the last three years is Bob’s record. It’s the highest winning percentage of any coach we’ve ever had against our toughest schedule outside the U.S."

Professor Sunil Gulati was quoted in 2009 during an interview with the NY Times.

Dan Leo

This leads us to a sidebar on the coaching evaluation.

Bruce Arena's World Cup record of 2W-2T-4L, 8 points from a possible 24, and 9-13 goal difference is rather pedestrian. His recent MLS record is adequate on paper, but he has done it with two DP's (Designated Players such as David Beckham and Juan Pablo Angel who are not subject to the salary cap) in each New York and LA while other coaches have gotten similar or better results on half or even third the budget.

US

OnB

Bruce Arena of the Los Angeles Galaxy is one of the most
successful coaches in American soccer history. He was an
All-American college soccer player, and also played lacrosse.
He was capped once for his country against Israel in 1973.
Recently, Coach Arena was named MLS Coach of the Year for 2009.

"We're not chasing around 18-year-old players that can't get games for their club team and tell me they want to play for Italy."

Mr. Arena was quoted in a June 2009 feature by the New York Times on Giuseppe Rossi.

Which brings us to MLS.

I find it odd that MLS, as a developing league, has not gone after the experienced European and South American coaches since that has certainly been the modus operandi in other developing leagues such as South Korea and Japan.

Gullit's stint in LA smelled like a publicity stunt gone awry from day one. Still, even he managed to bring in some positive aspects of the Dutch soccer into the league. The LA Galaxy were scoring at roughly twice the rate under him than they have so far under Arena, yet the MLS general managers have only hired John Carver (6 games managed in England, all as a caretaker), Gary Smith (none), Chris Cummins (none), Steve Morrow (none).

R

Ruud Gullit was a former European Player of the Year with
AC Milan, and won the European Cup of Nations with
The Netherlands in 1988.

"In the United States they play soccer in the schools and then college and they are 20 or 21 years old and they are coming to me, having been coached straight out of a book. None of these coaches has played at any kind of high level."

Mr. Gullit was quoted in 2008 during an interview with the London Times.R

In years past, the Metrostars did try for the moon with Bora, Carlos Queiroz and Carlos Alberto Parreira but those hires seemed to be of the Gullit type "attention grabbing variety."

Does the absence of the foreign coaches indicate a lack of ambition? A blithe indifference to proven soccer professionals? A deliberately careful business plan to develop from within? A belief that only an American coach can do wonders in MLS? Or does it think that what it has been doing is good enough and there's no reason to rock the boat any further?

Editor's Note

I would like to thank Grant and Dan for this enlightening discussion.

I would also like to thank Caroline Sill of Crown Books for her kind assistance

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Germany 1 - Italy 1: "I would have a friendly ever year with an opponent like this."

Azzurri manager, Cesare Prandelli.

Cesare Prandelli released his roster for the Wednesday friendly against Germany in Dortmund. This will be the first encounter of the year for the Azzurri. Euro 2012 qualifiers will resume in March, and this German friendly should provide Prandelli with a good idea of the strengths and weaknesses of his current team.

Historical Encounters

Germany or West Germany has never defeated Italy in a competitive match. Germany has beaten the Azzurri in a few friendlies over the years. Both nations have experienced three epic games at the World Cup:

• 1970 World Cup semi-final in Mexico won by Italy in extra time, 4 x 3.
  
  
• 
  
  
• 1982 World Cup final in Spain won by Italy 3 x 1.
• 
  
  
• 
  
• 2006 World Cup semi-final in Germany won by Italy, 0 x 2 in extra time.
• 
  
  

Azzurri Roster

Portieri/Goalkeepers: Buffon (Juventus), Sirigu (Palermo), Viviano (Bologna).

Difensori/Defenders: Astori (Cagliari), Bonucci (Juventus), Cassani (Palermo), Chiellini (Juventus), Criscito (Genoa), Maggio (Napoli), Ranocchia (Inter).

Centrocampisti/Midfielders: Aquilani (Juventus), De Rossi (Roma), Giovinco (Parma), Mauri (Lazio), (Sampdoria), Montolivo (Fiorentina), Nocerino (Palermo), Thiago Motta (Inter)., Palombo (Sampdoria).

Attaccanti/Strikers: Borriello (Roma), Cassano (Milan), Matri (Juventus), Pazzini (Inter), Rossi (Villarreal).

Roster courtesy of La Gazzetta dello Sport, 6 February 2011.

Three New Faces and a Legend

• Sebastian Giovinco

• Alessandro Matri

• Thiago Motta (naturalized from Brazil.)

• Gigi Buffon makes his debut during the Prandelli era.

Juventus Nucleus with an Inter Milan Influence

• Five Juve players lead the way.
• Internazionale placed three players on the roster for the first time in years.
• Two AS Roma players and one from AC Milan are present.

Prandelli Before the Game

"E’ sempre una sfida affascinante. Farei ogni anno un’amichevole con avversari così. Certo che adesso abbiamo parecchi giocatori fuori causa per infortunio".

On this luxury friendly:

"It will always be a fascinating challenge. I would have a friendly every year with an opponent like this. Surely we now have a few players unavailable due to injuries."

RICORDI — "La partita del secolo per me è stata quella nel 1970 con i tedeschi, in Messico. Mi svegliarono di notte per vederla. La finale mondiale del 1982 vedeva protagonisti in campo tanti amici, la semifinale del 2006 ha invece coinvolto tutti, gli azzurri di Lippi hanno giocato un calcio fantastico".

On his memories of past German games:

"The game of the century for me was the one in 1970 with the Germans in Mexico. I stayed up all night to watch it. The World Cup final in 1982 saw many of my friends become protagonists on the field. The semi-final in 2006 instead involved everyone. The team managed by Marcello Lippi played fantastic football."

THIAGO MOTTA — "Lo stavamo seguendo anche quando Pirlo era disponibile, non è una sua alternativa. Vogliamo un centrocampo tecnico, di qualità, e lui rientra in questi parametri. Può giocare sia da playmaker basso che da interno di centrocampo".

On Thiago Motta:

"We have been following him even when Andrea Pirlo was available. He is not his replacement. We want a technical midfield with quality and he enters into these parameters. He can play either a low playmaker or in the middle."

(Prandelli has often stated his desire to have a very flexible and creative midfield to provide more options and confuse his opponents.)

On Alessandro Matri:

"Lo seguivamo anche prima che passasse alla Juventus. E’ un finalizzatore, ma sa anche giocare largo".

"We also tracked him before he transferred to Juventus. He is a finisher but also knows how to play out wide."

Source: La Gazzetta dello Sport, 7 February 2011.

Starting XI

Italy: 4-3-1-2

Buffon (capt)
Cassani, Ranocchia, Bonucci, Chiellini
Thiago Motta, Mauri, De Rossi
Montolivo
Cassano, Pazzini

Manager: Mr. Prandelli

Germany: 4-2-3-1

Neuer
Lahm (capt), Mertesacker, Badstuber, Aogo
Khedira, Schweinsteiger
Mueller, Ozil, Podolski
Klose

Manager: Mr. Loew

Match Official: Mr. Raaar

Scoring Summary

Klose 16' with assists by Ozil and Mueller.

G. Rossi 81' assisted by Criscito.

Prandelli After the Game

"Stiamo crescendo sotto tanti punti di vista: il pareggio è giusto. La sconfitta sarebbe stata una beffa. Questi ragazzi hanno qualità: se mettono in campo anche ordine tattico, è facile produrre buone prestazioni. Abbiamo giocato una buona partita: più intensità nel secondo tempo, ma anche nel primo abbiamo avuto le nostre occasioni".

"We are growing under many points of reference. The tie was fair. A defeat would have been a mockery. These lads have quality. If they line up on the pitch properly in a tactical sense, it's easy to produce good presentations. We played a good game. More intensity in the second half but also in the first half we had our chances."

Source: La Gazzetta dello Sport, 9 February 2011.



Match Statistics

Germany 1 x Italy 1

12(3)	Shots (on Goal)	13(6)
16	Fouls	11
7	Corner Kicks	4
0	Offsides	2
58%	Time of Possession	43%
0	Yellow Cards	1
0	Red Cards	0
5	Saves	2

Statistics courtesy of ESPN SoccerNet.

A great source for daily Serie A and Azzurri news is Italian Soccer Serie A by Anna Italia.

Steve Amoia is a freelance writer, editor and translator from Washington, D.C. He is the founder of World Football Commentaries. He has written for AC Cugini Scuola Calcio (Italian soccer school), Football Media, Italian Soccer Serie A, Keeper Skool and Soccerlens.

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Interview with Julian Movsesian of DiBenedetto AS Roma LLC and Succession Capital Alliance

Image courtesy of Associazione Sportiva Roma, SpA.

28 March 2011

Please note: Mr. Movsesian was a partner in this venture at the time of our interview.

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Julian Movsesian is the President and founder of Capital Management Strategies, Inc. and the President and CEO of Succession Capital Alliance. Mr. Movsesian is also one of the partners in DiBenedetto AS Roma LLC, which is an American group finalizing the takeover of AS Roma.

I spoke to Mr. Movsesian today, and he was kind enough to take time from his very busy schedule to answer a few questions.

Mr. Movsesian, it is a great pleasure to speak with you.

You grew up in Egypt. What is your background in soccer and/or soccer management?

Julian Movsesian: "I have followed soccer my whole life. Ever since I was a kid."

How long had you followed Italian soccer before making this bid?

Julian Movsesian: "I have followed Italian soccer for over 40 years."

Do you have a favorite team?

Julian Movsesian: (He laughed.) “AC Milan was my favorite but I’m now a Roma fan.”

Do any of your partners speak and/or read Italian?

Julian Movsesian: "Some do and some don’t."

Have you or your other partners in this deal ever done business in Italy?

Julian Movsesian: "I can only speak for myself. I have not, but have been there many times."

Do you plan to manage the team from Rome or will the club be managed remotely?

Julian Movsesian: "Everything will be based from Rome."

You and your partners have managed large companies in diverse sectors. What type of training/study will you and your partners undergo as preparation to manage an Italian soccer team?

Julian Movsesian: "We have a significant business management background. Obviously, that is why we bid for AS Roma."

What is your vision for the Roma project?

Julian Movsesian: "To cultivate and increase the global marketing. It's been lacking."

Finally, what is your message to AS Roma fans around the world?

Julian Movsesian: "To win the Serie A this year."

Mr. Movsesian, thank you for taking the time to speak with me, and all the best wishes with this new venture.

Thank you, Steve.

I would like to thank Brian Whitmore, Vice President at Succession Capital Alliance, for his kind assistance with this interview.

Italian Translation of the interview with Mr. Movsesian:
La traduzione italiana della intervista col Signor Movsesian:

Lei è cresciuto in Egitto. Qual è il suo c.v. calcistico e nella gestione di una societa calcistica?

JM: "Ho seguito il calcio tutta la mia vita fino da quando io ero un giovane".

Da quanto tempo ha seguito il calcio italiano prima di partecipare a questa offerta?

JM: "Lo seguo il calcio italiano da oltre 40 anni".

Ha una squadra del cuore?

JM: (una risata) "Sì, il Milan è stato sempre la mia squadra preferita. Ma ora io sono un tifoso della Roma".

Possono parlare o leggere l'italiano i suoi soci?

JM: "Alcuni si possono fare e gli altri, no".

Lei o i suoi altri soci in questa trattavia hanno mai fatto affari in Italia?

JM: "Posso parlare solo per me. Non l’ho mai fatto in Italia, pero' ci sono stato molte volte".

Anticipa di gestire la squadra da Roma o da lontano?

JM: "Tutti gli affari saranno basati da Roma".

Lei e i suoi soci sono stati riusciti con grandi aziende in diversi settori. Che tipo di formazione/studio lei e i suoi soci faranno come preparazione per gestire una squadra di calcio italiano?

JM: "Abbiamo un significativo background di gestione aziendale. Ovviamente, è per questo che abbiamo fatti l'offerta per la Roma".

Qual è la sua visione per questo nuovo progetto?

JM: "Per coltivare e accrescere il marketing globale che in questo momento sia stato in uno stato carente".

Qual è il suo messaggio ai tifosi romanisti in giro per il mondo?

JM: "Il mio obbiettivo è vincere il campionato di Serie A quest'anno".

Questa intervista è stata realizzata da Steve Amoia.

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Please Note

• This interview was referenced and translated in full or in parts at the following sites and publications: La Gazzetta dello Sport (largest sports newspaper in Italy), il Corriere dello Sport (second largest sports newspaper in Italy), La Repubblica (largest newspaper in Rome), Goal.com/it, Goal.com/en-india, La Roma 24.it, Forza Roma.info, Voce Giallorossa.it, Rete Sport.it, Sportpaper.it, CesololaRoma.fr, Calcio News 24, Calcio in Italia, ASR News.it, AS Roma Live.com, LaSignora in Giallorosso.it, Vox Populi Romano.it, Blog Taormina.it, Core de Roma.it, Chiacchiare di Sport, LaRomaInRete.com, Roma Ti Amo.net, Roma Club Franco Sensi, Blitzquotidiano.it.
  

Steve Amoia is a freelance writer, editor and translator from Washington, D.C. He is the founder of World Football Commentaries. He has written for AC Cugini Scuola Calcio (Italian soccer school), Football Media, Italian Soccer Serie A, Keeper Skool and Soccerlens.

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