Now in the early stages of a new coaching career, Andrea Pisanu is calling in his contacts to help accelerate the education process – including one of his old bosses, Claudio Ranieri.
Having just turned 42, former Parma and Bologna attacker Pisanu is already seeking his third job in management after spells in charge with Maltese clubs Sliema Wanderers and Hibernian. And speaking with Tribalfootball.com, Pisanu revealed he’d just spent some time at another of his old clubs, Cagliari, where he was able to pick the brains of his former Parma coach, Claudio Ranieri.
In this Q&A, Andrea takes us through his career. From success at Parma, to swap deals with Bologna and testing himself in Canada with Montreal Impact. Football has taken the Sardinian around the world.
Pisanu also runs his eye over this season’s Serie A title race and also has positive words for Parma as they chase promotion from Serie B.
You kicked off your pro career at home with Cagliari – but the game has taken you around the world. What are your immediate memories as a player?
“Yes, I had the honour and I was lucky to play for important teams in my career. Cagliari was special for me because to play for the team of the city where you were born and to play in Serie A at 16 years old doesn’t happen very often.
“Parma was also special for me because I played there for many years. I had the chance to play in Europe with Parma and also my daughter was born there in that city. Another one I would mention is Montreal, because it was my first experience outside Italy, I learned a lot there and my second kid was born there.”
So what about that time with Montreal Impact? Why was it so memorable?
“Yes it was my last year at Bologna and I was having a bad period there due to my injuries and also other Italian players were leaving to play there like DI Vaio, Ferrari and Nesta.
“It was a very hard choice for me to leave Italy but I am very glad about this decision because I learned a lot there at Montreal and it helped me a lot in different aspects. I loved the city and I loved the fans and I would have liked to stay longer there.
“We were a young club but we managed to win different cups and to get better over time. Also, during my time there, I started enjoying football again because there football is seen as an enjoyment not like in Italy or other important leagues where in football you have a lot of pressure.
“I would like to return there one day to the club and to contribute and work there in the future.”
You mention Alessandro Nesta – he was some player, wasn’t he?
“I had the chance to play in Serie A in a period where the league was the best in the world and there were a lot of players which I can mention. The greatest player I have played with is Nesta at Montreal. Despite his age, he showed every session and every match there that he is a fantastic player, a rare defender.
“Regarding the strongest opponent I have played against, I can say Luis Figo at Inter and Del Piero with Juve.”
What about Canadian football in general? Are you following it?
“In the last few years the football there has grown a lot. Before the most important sport in Canada was hockey and now the situation has changed and the most important sport there is football. They are very good from an organisational point of view and this permits this sport to grow year after year. You can see the results easily, for example, their qualifying round for the World Cup, the style of play they use is so attractive, and also more and more players are coming to Europe and playing for big clubs.”
Speaking of which – we’ve just seen Taj Buchanan sign for Inter Milan…
“He has a lot of qualities because if not Inter would have not taken him. Of course, he needs some time to learn the new culture, to know better the new coach and his new teammates but he has a lot of qualities and I am sure he will demonstrate what kind of player he is.”
You’ve just visited Claudio Ranieri back home in Cagliari – how did it go?
“I was coached by Ranieri at Parma for a year so I know him very well. To meet him again was a special moment for me, and from him, I learned a lot, the most important thing that I understood from him was that if you want to be a top coach it’s not needed only the tactical and technical part but also the human part. You must know how you relate with the players, how you treat them, etc.
“We talked about that season at Parma, about my journey as a coach, what I am doing, etc.
“Regarding Cagliari, last year the coach produced a miracle by taking us back to Serie A. This year the team is doing a normal season and is doing what is expected from them, to fight every game to earn the points and to try to not be relegated to Serie B. And based on the players they have, based on the coach and the fans, I hope that they will not be relegated.”
By your admission, you didn’t enjoy your time with Bologna. But what have you made of Thiago Motta’s work?
“Bologna left me very disappointed. I wasn’t able to show all my qualities and it was a bad period due to my continuous injuries.
“But regarding today’s Bologna, the most beautiful thing they have done for me is creating and believing in this project and not changing it despite the difficulties. The club created a long-term project, stuck to it, and put the right people in place at the right time. For me, they have a big chance to qualify for Europe next season, and based on what I see I think that they have a chance to even qualify for the Champions League.”
What about the title race?
“I was surprised positively by Inter this season because they have grown so much and are playing much more beautiful football. I think they will win the title. Juventus is a very strong team and they are there until the end to fight for their objective.
“I was surprised negatively by Napoli because, ok after you win the title it’s certain you will have problems, but I didn’t expect Napoli to be in this situation. I think the league this season is very interesting and you can see that there is a battle in every game. Nothing is decided.”
And in Serie B, you must be impressed by Parma’s progress?
“I think this year Parma is ready to win the league and return to Serie A. I have followed Serie B and I can say that Parma is the strongest team. Also in Serie B, I have seen different young talented players who can be future stars and I have seen coaches with interesting ideas.
“It’s strange for me to see Sampdoria in that position, but I think the work Pirlo is doing is for a long-term project and the results will be seen next year. In the end, there are still the play-offs which can be a little bit tricky because you can finish sixth and yet you can beat the third place finisher. I’m not sure about that…”
