Matteo Tognozzi’s Celtic suitability examined as 60-page magnum opus reveals Juventus scout’s painstaking work ethic

There is no query that the problem of who might be supervisor subsequent season is forefront within the minds of Celtic supporters in the intervening time.

After the botched 10 In A Row marketing campaign the stress is properly and actually on Neil Lennon as a rising variety of followers name for his removing, even when he is already had a hand within the Parkhead rebuild with the pre-contract signing of Liam Shaw.

It is set to be a summer season of change all through the membership although, with long-serving CEO Peter Lawwell stepping down to get replaced by Dominic McKay.

As well as there’s set to be a brand new director of soccer function created, both working alongside head of recruitment Nick Hammond or changing him.

The likes of David Webb and Fergal Harkin have been linked however arguably probably the most intriguing suggestion is that of Matteo Tognozzi.

The Italian is chief scout at Juventus and hasn’t been the person on the high, however he earned his sporting director’s licence in 2019.

Whereas the function has historically been seen as redundant in British soccer it is taken extraordinarily severe on the continent.

To be granted a licence by the Italian FA (FIGC) an intensive course have to be accomplished on the Coverciano centre, full with a dissertation on the finish.

Tognozzi handed with flying colors, graduating with honours and having his thesis chosen as one of many three greatest on the course.

Described as “a meticulous, detailed narration” by the examiners, the “exact and punctual” 60 web page submission offers an enchanting perception into the Juve man’s processes and philosophy.

Here is what we discovered and what Tognozzi would deliver to Celtic if he arrives at Parkhead.

Extremely really helpful

Tognozzi’s thesis is prefaced with an affidavit from Juventus sporting director Fabio Paratici.

Together with former normal supervisor Giuseppe Marotta, he has been the architect of the Bianconeri’s massively profitable switch technique.

Signing the likes of Paul Pogba, Andrea Pirlo and Fernando Llorente for subsequent to nothing, the pair re-established Juve because the dominant drive in Serie A.

They confirmed an eye fixed for expertise by securing Arturo Vidal, Leonardo Bonucci and Paulo Dybala on their means up and Paratici was a key determine in bringing Cristiano Ronaldo to Turin.

The sporting director is fulsome in his reward for Tognozzi, writing: “Matteo is likely one of the most passionate and educated soccer individuals I do know.

“He’s formidable, studious, meticulous.

“Pricey Matteo, you might be one in all my most cherished and vital colleagues, with out whom I’d by no means have been capable of obtain all of the satisfaction I’ve.”

Intensive database

Tognozzi writes of his perception that the sporting director have to be “the determine with the best soccer sensibility on the membership”, so “the present of observing and evaluating have to be developed”.

Consequently he retains an unlimited and always up to date database of the gamers he watches.

It comprises each match he is watched in his scouting profession, with the match stats, formations and his personal studies on the gamers.

“This database,” Tognozzi writes, “permits me not solely to have the ability to reconstruct the journey of assorted gamers over time, but additionally to replicate on myself, on what and the way I wrote in earlier years, on the errors in analysis that I’ll have made.”

Consideration to element

Tognozzi estimates that he watches round 200 stay matches per 12 months, and greater than double that on video.

In addition to the aforementioned database, he takes copious written notes although tries to not write an excessive amount of throughout video games “as a result of I consider that the extra you are taking your eyes off the pitch the extra belongings you miss”.

On the finish of every month he takes his high 11 observations to be stored and analysed for future reference.

Tognozzi writes that he seeks to “refine my methodology constantly” as his work places him “in touch with numerous cultures and totally different soccer cultures at a excessive degree”.

Adaptability

Tognozzi has labored internationally, having been employed by golf equipment in Russia, Germany and Italy.

He speaks good English, one of many causes Luciano Spalletti took him to Zenit St Petersburg.

When he arrived, the Italian writes, the membership sometimes took suggestions on overseas gamers from brokers and weren’t used to searching for accreditation for their very own scouts exterior Russia.

He writes of getting to blag his means in to stadiums “numerous occasions”.

In Russia the very first thing to take into consideration when taking a look at gamers to signal was “the traits of our home league, which may be very demanding, particularly on a bodily and environmental degree”.

Frozen pitches and lengthy journey occasions meant recruiting gamers with “character and bodily power”.

Hulk and Axel Witsel are “two very clear examples of the sort of gamers we have been on the lookout for”.

A desk demonstrates how focus was switched from Japanese European leagues to markets like Portugal and Italy.

Nevertheless, Tognozzi and the remainder of the Zenit scouting workforce needed to adapt to a rule that meant a minimum of six Russian gamers needed to be on the pitch at anyone time for home video games.

In Germany, he joined a Hamburg facet “on the verge of chapter” and compelled to promote key gamers.

As well as Tognozzi writes of the “quick and direct” soccer which was very totally different to the model in Russia.

The likes of Marian Shved and Vasilis Barkas are testomony to the problem of adapting to the actual nature of Scottish soccer and such challenges are one thing the Juve man is properly conscious of.

Earnings on gamers

Tognozzi writes that Porto’s mannequin was the primary to encourage him, and it was one he obtained to know properly via studying from the Portuguese membership’s administrators.

He writes that it was: “An actual enterprise mannequin, with low-cost investments in younger footballers who have been then resold at a a lot larger value and changed once more with younger prospects, with out shedding competitiveness.”

If that sounds acquainted it is the identical fundamental technique Celtic have pursued through the years.

For example he cites Porto promoting Ricardo Carvalho to Chelsea, then changing him with Pepe. When Pepe was, in flip, bought to Actual Madrid he was changed by Bruno Alves.

Decisive motion

As sporting director, Tognozzi could be chargeable for constructing the squad and the fashions he cites are characterised by transferring decisively – no lengthy haggling over John McGinn right here.

Porto’s sporting director Antero Henrique had over 250 scouts all over the world, with every scout informed to supply a high XI from the nation to which they have been assigned.

Tognozzi explains that these scouts have been forbidden from writing {that a} participant must be watched once more – a fast and correct verdict was required to make sure richer rivals did not swoop in.

In Germany, he explains, the scouting course of is slower however the purpose is all the time to have “90 per cent of the switch marketing campaign accomplished by the top of June”.

That might be music to the ears of Celtic followers, who’ve typically complained concerning the membership transferring late and struggling within the Champions League qualifiers consequently.

It is a recurring theme all through the thesis, with Tognozzi explaining his perception that Leverkusen’s success comes from “the pace in determination making and within the autonomy of the vital figures on the membership… with no ‘decision-making’ and hyper-controlling president”.

Because the membership’s largest shareholder, Dermot Desmond has trusted Lawwell to make key choices for 17 years and Tognozzi could possibly be a fan of that strategy.

Worldwide scope

All through his thesis Tognozzi offers detailed accounts of the various kinds of soccer in international locations internationally, typically with quotes from well-known literature from these nations – Paulo Coelho, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, and Rudyard Kipling all get a point out.

At Bayer Leverkusen he was impressed by the huge community of scouts everywhere in the world, with Tognozzi crediting his time in Germany for his information of the Asian market.

They’d use journalists and executives from guardian firm Bayer to supply probably the most detailed studies and guarantee they have been “scouting a lot sooner than different European golf equipment”.

As proven within the above desk, Leverkusen recruited from everywhere in the world and that strategy impressed Tognozzi.

Brexit rules might make signing gamers from continental Europe harder, but when the Italian is appointed he’s positive to forged a large internet.

The monetary limitations of Scottish soccer are additionally one thing he’d be properly conscious of.

Tognozzi writes that specializing in Portuguese and Brazilian gamers at Zenit was mandatory because the Russian membership could not hope to compete with English, German or Spanish golf equipment when it comes to assets.

He and the workforce additionally used contacts in Italy, and the pull of supervisor Luciano Spalletti, to draw Serie A expertise.

Large membership expertise

Whereas Zenit, Hamburg and Leverkusen are huge golf equipment they don’t seem to be essentially anticipating of the home dominance that’s required at Celtic.

The place that’s demanded although is Tognozzi’s present membership, Juventus.

He explains: “At Juventus you’ll be able to’t stand nonetheless, it is advisable to perceive the place you might be and the place you are going.

“In case you stand nonetheless the dimensions and energy of the membership is more likely to crush you.”

Whereas Juve are one of many largest golf equipment on the earth although, they’ve needed to be good within the switch market.

Tognozzi explains: “To make sure that a membership with virtually half the turnover of Actual Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United and Bayern Munich handle to constantly stand within the high seven to eight groups in Europe it is very important know the market and its dynamics.

“To go blow-for-blow and counter the €100million signings of different high European golf equipment could be unthinkable.

“Juventus has managed to consolidate itself within the high eight European groups additionally because of many a number of worthwhile free switch signings and a few glorious gross sales which led to huge earnings.”

Tognozzi additionally factors to the introduction of a Juve B workforce into Serie C as a means of creating younger gamers with out having to ship them out on mortgage – that means he’d certainly be an advocate of colt groups have been he to return to Scotland.

Willingness to study

In his conclusion Tognozzi writes: “These analyses of mine don’t move for absolute reality. It’s the story of my expertise and my in symbiosis with soccer.

“I nonetheless have too many gaps and so many elements to enhance in myself and my occupation.”

He exhibits his willingness to work in “a high league or perhaps some distant place on the earth”, ending “I nonetheless have a protracted option to go and my suitcase is huge”.