Mihajlovic, from Kennedy to Dante what a show his lectures are

In the press conference Sinisa Mihajlovic used to attack frontally when needed, but he also knew how to use foil. She motivated her players by inflaming their pride with studied phrases or “pinched” their opponents. On the pitch she was a champion in kicking set pieces, one of the greatest of all time, but also in front of microphones and cameras she knew how to assert herself. She many catchphrases to capture the attention of the audience and to launch more forcefully the messages she had in mind. She also studied before presenting herself in front of journalists. As only great coaches do.

TARGET MOU

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In December 2008 Mihajlovic had just started his coaching career, thanks to the assist of his friend Mancini who had recommended him to Bologna. He had been asked about the difficulties he had in managing Adriano and he replied by emphasizing that he and Mancini had been labeled as incompetent because they didn’t know how to make him perform at their best. The Special One had felt the need to answer him and had been caustic: “If Inter gave the opportunity to train someone who had spat in an opponent’s face (reference to Mihajlovic, ed), why not give them another chance to play “Adriano? Inter’s assistant coach is Baresi, but Mihajlovic talks about Inter more than him. It seems he’s still here even if in reality it’s not like that.” Naturally Sinisa didn’t lower her head: “I can’t talk about football with Mourinho because he’s never played and he can’t understand. I’ve done a lot of bullshit, I’ve always paid, it’s not justifiable but only those who have done this job as players can understand and he didn’t.”

KENNEDY AND SAMP

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Upon returning to Sampdoria, this time as a coach, he used the words of John Fitzgerald Kennedy to motivate the team and the environment. It was November 21, 2013: “Tomorrow is the 50th anniversary of Kennedy’s death. You know that I am a history buff and I believe that his great ideas are still relevant today. I will quote three sentences to the Sampdoria players: don’t ask what the your country for you, but what you can do for your country; winners always find a way, losers an excuse; we are all Berliners. Here we are all Sampdorians and I am proud to be back. I feel right at home”.

DANTE, HELL AND PARADISE

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Once Sampdoria was back in the race for salvation, Sinisa demanded a further effort from his team and quoted Dante: “Today I brought a book to the conference to get help, it is the Divine Comedy of the Supreme Poet. In Hell, Dante talks about Ulysses when encourages his team to go beyond the Pillars of Hercules. I would like to do the same and encourage my boys to move forward, without settling. I don’t know where our Pillars of Hercules are. A team that is never satisfied is a team with balls. If they want to follow me, I assure you it won’t be a crazy flight. When I arrived we were in Hell, now we are in Purgatory, I would like to get to Heaven”.

EINSTEIN E WALT DISNEY

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On 29 March 2014, on the eve of Sampdoria-Fiorentina, he used a phrase from Albert Einstein to explain the exemption from Fiorentina: “It’s easier to break an atom than a prejudice” and then to stimulate the team in view of the season finale: “The goal from now on? We want to try to win them all. As Walt Disney said: ‘If you dream it, you can do it’…”.

HORATIO AND KENNEDY AGAIN

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At the end of August 2014, on the eve of the match against Palermo, he encouraged the team, quoting Orazio: “To my men I say: Carpe diem. We too must know how to seize the moment”. A few seconds later… Kennedy, appointed to exorcise defeats: “He said that there is a path we must never take and that is that of those who are afraid and of submission: we always want to win, but it’s not possible. So we get back up” .

CHE GUEVARA AND CHURCHILL

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September 27, 2014 in Genoa was the eve of the derby. Sinisa experienced the approach by charging the environment, quoting the greats of the past in this case as well: “As Che Guevara said, you have to pay any price to keep our flag high. I am sure that regardless of the result, we will keep it high. Churchill he said that the problems of victory are more pleasant than those of defeat but they are no less arduous. First we win, then we talk about it…”.

JULIUS CAESAR

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For another derby, the return one, the chosen phrase was that of Julius Caesar: “We must be afraid only of fear”. And then in turn: “The light of the Lanterna can illuminate the path of only one team. I ask mine for desire, passion, spirit of sacrifice, respect for the shirt, legs and… balls”.

ROCKFELLER

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On 15 March 2015, on the eve of the away game at the Olimpico against the Giallorossi, the quote was for Rockefeller: “There are people who dream of success and others who stay awake to get it. And I want Sampdoria to be awake from the start ‘last minute”.

BALO AND HIS HEAD

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In March 2016, when he sat on the Milan bench, he tried to help Balotelli: “He would have the physical condition to play, but he has a headache. If I ask him to carry out a specific task, he does it once and then the others if forget. I don’t know if he can make a leap in quality, it depends on him: we help him, but Mario has to help himself”.

BE ACCOUNTANTS

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The day he was presented as coach of Torino, 13 June 2016, he was clear in view of the derby against Juventus: “Anyone who doesn’t feel like playing for him, go and be an accountant. Torino has always been different from any other team that I faced: here you can breathe pages of history, beautiful, dramatic and intense. Soul, heart, pride, tears and sweat just the way I like it. Taurus is used to being in the arena, fighting and fighting, we will do it in every game and without fear”.

RACISTS I WAIT FOR YOU

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We are in May 2017, Toro lost the derby against Juventus and for Mihajlovic heavy offenses came from the black and white curve. Sinisa did not lower her head: “We talk a lot about racism in Italy, but no longer just black or white. Even gypsies, or Serbians, of m… We only talk about racism with blacks and whites, if you touch an entire population, everything is fine . But this is Italy. Anyway, whoever called me a gypsy I’m waiting for it, come and say it to my face. They know where I live, let’s see if they have the balls”.

MASTERS AND PEOPLE

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Again at Toro, another derby with Juventus. He quoted Walt Disney again (“If you dream it, you can do it”) but then added: “This is the clash between passion and reason, between colors and black and white, between the people and the bosses. It’s a unique derby in the its kind”.

HIGHWAY AND TRAIL

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In May 2021 Mihajlovic praised Vignato, author of three assists against Fiorentina: “He sees a highway where others see a small path. He is one of those players for whom it is worth paying the ticket”.

LUI E BOSKOV

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In October 2021, to cheer up his team who didn’t have the right aim, the master Boskov recalled: “Do you know what Boskov said? Whoever shoots, never makes a mistake. In football you have to shoot…”.

DUSAN, THE SERBS AND THE ATTRIBUTES

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A year ago, before the match against Fiorentina, he spoke about the number one danger, Dusan Vlahovic: “I don’t like talking about my opponents but since he’s Serbian I do it. I really like Dusan, he has attributes, it’s no coincidence that he comes from Serbia : there they give you certain things (the attributes, ed.) as a gift. He’s hungry, angry, he’s not satisfied. I’m happy for my national team. Afraid of him? No, it’s a football match and you can’t be afraid. However, fear is not a negative feeling and keeps you grounded.”

FROM ZERO TITLE TO ZERO ALIBI

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Last January, after the defeat against Cagliari, he quotes Mourinho: “A coach friend of mine years ago said ‘Zero tituli’. Now I say ‘Zero alibi’ to the team…”.

COME MANDELA

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Last March, a few days before the disease knocked on his door again, he tried to stimulate the team before the match against Viola: “I’ll be happy if we show in these last 11 matches that we’re fighting and have the right attitude. Respect in the last races the difficulties will increase, but as Mandela said ‘We are masters of our destiny and captains of our soul’…”.