I always wanted to coach in India and be a champion here – Vincenzo Annese

Coming to India and winning the I-League on the last day of his maiden season never seemed easy.

Team FootballCounter went up and close with Gokulam Kerala’s Head Coach, Mr Vincenzo Annese and discussed about his love for Indian movies, time spent at Kerala, winning the I-League and much more..

Excerpts: 

What made you come to India, and how was your experience this year?  

The team called me and offered me this position to come to India. I couldn’t say no because since I was a child, my sister and I saw Indian movies and was always fascinated by the culture and mentality of Indian people. They are always friendly and understanding.

I always wanted to coach in India and be a champion here, so when this offer came, I saw the potential and was pretty excited about this. I’m pleased that I made it, and we Gokulam are the champions this year!

 

How were your experience with the team and Kerala’s football culture?  

It’s been fantastic; the guys they have played so well. Our start was a bit difficult in the first seven games, but they managed very well and believed in themselves. We were the only team in India who scored with ten different players, so you understand how involved the lads were, and everyone wanted to win.

Kerala has a different place for football in their hearts, and our team has many young players from Kerala; they all are exceptionally talented. We all stayed like a family, tried to keep our phones away and tried to stay together all the time because even they were away from their family.

 

Can you mention some things which you did differently than others that made you win the title?  

Concentrate more on Indian players. I have seen other teams and leagues who concentrate more on foreign players. I try to develop the team’s local players and give them a fair chance to prove themselves. We didn’t spend much money and believed in the squad. I think that was the key to our success!

I think Indian players have the same quality as others; they need to be appropriately developed. Believing in the local players changed the mentality of my squad. I trusted their quality, and they showed me the results. Some of my players also have the quality and talent to play in the national like I have a special player Emil Benny, who will indeed play for India someday.

One more thing I did personally was to understand the players’ mentality. I tried to stay with them and talk, ate the same food as them. In football, it’s not just about playing, and it’s also about your lifestyle, which I wanted to develop in them. I organised the lads in a professional way.

 

What was your main objective before the tournament started?

I wanted that people should know who we are; they should start talking about us. People should recognise who we are, what our talent is and how we score goals etc. And obviously, we as a team desired to win the trophy.

Being a coach I think about the club’s future and wish that this team will play in Asia someday, with the same players!

 

Some weeks ago, you commented, “I felt there is too much focus on defence and clean sheets in Indian football.” Why do you think so?  

Yeah, I think people here talk too much about clean sheets. I don’t why and how does it matter! According to me what you remember, in the end, it is the win, not the clean sheet.

I play to win those 3 points. I like to play attacking football, and that’s what my team showed. It seems crazy, but that’s how people think here. Maybe they are trying to follow England mentality, to play defensive and focus on a clean sheet. Getting the win should be the objective.

For me, 1-1 or 0-0 is also a loss, I prefer games with more goals like 4-3 or 3-2.

 

You have coached in many countries in Asia, Africa and Europe. So what, according to you, are the aspects Indian football is lacking?  

India is a top football side for me. If we talk about leagues in Spain, Italy and England, my opinion is even when England has top teams like Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal etc, they tactically lack to Spain and Italy.

The playing style of England won’t work here in India. Still, many teams here follow the English playing style, which also includes the formation of 4-4-2. 4-4-2 doesn’t always work; that’s why we tried 3 at the back and 4-3-3. That worked very well for us, and we have results.

 

Do you think India needs to give more importance to grassroots football?

No, I guess India is doing good in grassroots. What India need is to focus more on local players and have experienced foreign coaches. It doesn’t matter where they are from, maybe Italy, England, Spain, France, what they should have is quality and experience. Try to develop the skills of local players that will help.

Mister Vincenzo Annese is just 36 years, but he has an experience of almost a decade where he has managed clubs like Bechem United, Ahli Al-Khaleel, PSIS Semarang, Belize, JFK Saldus. He was appointed in August, and in just a few months, he has rebuild Gokulam into a championship side. He wishes to continue with Gokulam Kerala FC and aims to win the I-League again, being the first foreign coach to do so.

 

For Trial related updates: Latest trials updates in Mumbai Football

Also Read: AFC Champions League: FC Goa hold Al Rayyan to fighting draw in tournament opener

Follow us on FacebookTwitter, and Instagram for all the latest happenings in the world of Indian football

Bank of India announces open trial for Mumbai Corporate League Campaign

Bank of India is set to make its mark in the Mumbai Corporate League and is looking for exceptional football talent to bolster its squad. The trial is scheduled for…

Share

India Khelo Football Workshop returns to Mumbai for its 4th Season

The Indian Khelo Football (IKF) Workshop returns to Mumbai this September, bringing with it an exceptional platform for aspiring footballers to showcase their skills and seize opportunities that could transform…

Share

Somaiya FC announces trials for the upcoming 2024-25 Season

Somaiya FC, having secured a commendable 5th position in the MFA Super Division last season, has announced open trials as they gear up for upcoming season. The team, known for…

Share

VR Academy to conduct trials for 2024-25 Season

Mumbai based VR Academy has announced trials for the upcoming 2024-25 season. The club is looking for talented young players to join our esteemed academy and participate in various competitive…

Share

MH ORANJE FC U-17 Trials for the Upcoming Season

With a proud legacy of nurturing talent and achieving excellence, Maharashtra Oranje FC has recently made waves with appearances in I-League 2, securing a remarkable runner-up position in the fiercely…

Share

Football School of India announce trials for Young Talents

Football School of India (FSI) has announced trials for young football enthusiasts in the upcoming week of June. A golden opportunity for aspiring players to showcase their talents and potentially…

Share

Mumbai Super League club Charkop FC to conduct open trials for upcoming Season

Calling all aspiring football stars! Charkop FC, a MFA super division club based in Charkop, Kandivali, is set to conduct Open Trials for the upcoming season. About Charkop FC: In…

Share

Mumbai 42 Football Academy to conduct trials for Youth players

Newly established Mumbai 42 Football Academy will be conducting trials for young footballers in the upcoming week.

Share

SSE BFC to conduct trials for U9 to U17 age group players

SSE BFC Soccer School will be conducting fresh trials this month for players aged below 17 to be part of their football program SSE BFC Soccer Schools is a football…

Share

India Khelo Football Season 3 Trials for Mumbai and Thane are here

India Khelo Football (IKF) is back with Season 3 of its widely acclaimed trials with an aim to cover more than 50 cities this time around. After the resounding success…

Share