Meet Matteo - Eagles' new Director of Coaching
A few weeks ago (before the latest lockdown) we welcomed Matteo Bosio to the Canterbury Eagles coaching team. Matteo’s taken the role of Director of Coaching, which means that he’ll be supporting all of our coaches, as well as leading on a longer term plan for player development at Canterbury Eagles. As you’ll read below, Matteo, who holds a UEFA B coaching licence, has a hugely impressive background in youth football, so his involvement is a big boost to the club’s ambitions. As it will be a while until he can meet everyone, we had a virtual ‘get to know you’ chat to welcome him to the club…
We obviously think we’re the best football club in Canterbury, but what made you want to join us at Eagles?
Hi everyone. Thank you for the wonderful welcome.
I relocated In July from Italy, looking for a new challenge after 15 years at Torino FC. Tony, Jamie and Dan explained the Eagles’ project and their strong will to develop the club. I’m excited to start and I can’t wait to meet all the coaches and the players.
You’ve worked all around the world. What has been your most memorable footballing experience?
Honestly, it’s really difficult to choose. Thanks to Torino, I visited some important football clubs and got to study different coaches and cultures from around the world.
Maybe the most interesting clubs I visited were Wolfsburg in Germany, Olympic Lyon in France, Toronto FC in Canada and AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands. They have ambitious long-term projects, especially with the academy teams, with visions for ‘homegrown’ young players.
As a supporter my most emotional experience was watching a River Plate match in Argentina in the Monumental stadium. You can’t imagine how crazy the River Plate fans are about their team and there’s an unbelievable atmosphere in the city on a matchday.
Can you tell us a bit about your coaching experience?
I started coaching when I was 18 years old at a local club of Turin, named “Cit Turin LDE”. I learned how difficult it is to manage a team, and how the relationships and organisation off the field are as important as the activities on the field.
The Toro (the nickname of Torino which means Bull) was my favourite team since I was a baby so you can imagine how happy and excited I was to coach there. It’s one of the biggest teams in Italy, with a unique history full of terrible tragedies and amazing moments. Probably most famous is the “Grande Torino,” the legendary Torino team of the 1940s who tragically died in the ‘Superga’ plane disaster on 4th May, 1949.
It’s more than a team. It’s a lifestyle and a philosophy. I started at Toro as coach of the U9s. Over the years my role changed a number of times, becoming a manager and learning a lot from amazing, knowledgable people along the way.
I strongly believe in setting targets to aid progression, and I feel the most important thing is always “the big picture.”
Did you have a coach/manager you looked up to, and which of their techniques do you use in your coaching?
Honestly there isn’t only one coach. Toro has had a coaching school since Sergio Vatta created it in 1986. Toro became a model for modern football academies, with a great scouting and coaching setup. I met many wonderful teachers and I have stolen pieces of knowledge from them.
Who are your top three footballers from around the world, and why?
In Italy, it’s definitely Andrea Belotti, striker for my favourite team and the Italian National team. He’s the Torino FC captain, he’s scored a lot of goals and he’s always demonstrated great diligence. I think he could be a star here in the UK.
The second one is Kylian Mbappé. He’s amazing, already a legendary player and he’s still so young!
The third is Piotr Zielinski of Napoli. He’s a complete midfielder and he could play everywhere.
Who are your top three English league players, and why?
I need to watch more Premier League matches, but I’ve been surprised by the speed and the dribbling skills of Alain Saint Maximin of Newcastle.
I’m a West Ham supporter, so I think Declan Rice is a great player and a modern midfielder.
The last one is Harry Kane. He’s a leader, a very professional player and a really hard worker. I know when he was young, Arsenal did not believe in his skills, because he wasn’t athletic enough. But that makes him an incredible example for all young players: BELIEVE IN YOUR DREAMS AND NEVER GIVE UP!!!
What do you hope to achieve with the Canterbury Eagles players?
I hope to meet a lot of new people, share ideas and learn new ways of thinking. I want to help the club by looking into the best way we could improve and develop the individual players, teams and coaches.
Finally, what’s the best piece of advice you’ve received, and did you take it?
I met two great mentors in my football career.
The first one is Davide Cravero. He had great football experience coaching at Parma, Lazio, Torino and in China. He’s the most important person I’ve ever met in football and now he’s a real friend. He was the Torino Academy Manager and he has taught me how to be a manager, not only a coach, and encouraged me to always think about the “big picture” and long-term targets.
The second person was Don Aldo Rabino. He was an exceptional priest who created different charities in Italy and Brazil, called OASI (which meant “now, friends, always together”) helping children and families. Unfortunately, he died in 2015 but his wisdom remains strong in the minds of the people that met him. One of his phrases reflects my idea of football: “Be friends, make a group, work hard.”
See you soon on the training pitch and “FORZA CANTERBURY EAGLES”!!!
