World Cup, Poland’s assistant coach Alessio Di Petrillo: “My prediction for the final”

On December 16, 2018 Alessio Di Petrillo came out half satisfied from the complicated Trestina field. His Prato had impacted 1-1 against the Umbrian hosts: they remained in mid-table, nothing exceptional. To try to get to the Serie D playoffs, we needed a little more.

Who knows if after exactly four years the coach from Pisa, born in 1967, will have smiled when he thinks again that his sporting relevance is no longer about the away matches between Tuscany and Umbria, but a World Cup novel recently finished in Qatar. As assistant coach of Poland. Do you know how many times the goddess Eupalla can play roulette within four years? Infinite. And mister Di Petrillo’s chips have almost always made jackpots.

Mister, in four years the world can revolutionize itself.

“Yes, but I don’t believe in luck. For me there is merit, and after three contract renewals together with coach Michniewicz I think I’ve proved something.”

But how did the understanding with the Polish coach come about?

“At the Under 21 European Championship, in 2019. We had mutual friendships, he follows Italian football a lot and we got close. He courted me for a long time: I didn’t know whether to take the leap in the dark or stay in Tuscany, with my family. Then, in the winter of two years ago, I told myself to give it a try: Czeslaw coached Legia Warsaw, he wanted me as his assistant. I said yes and I haven’t regretted it.”

How is Polish football?

“Extraordinary structures, they leave nothing to chance. It’s growing visibly and they’ve noticed it in Italy too: we played in the Europa League in the Napoli group, several boys have made the most of themselves”.

“Michniewicz became coach, he called me and this time too I followed him. Crazy experience: Poland had been regularly out in the group stage for 36 years, this time we went further. And perhaps something more could have been done…”

In the national team there are several well-known faces of our football.

“If I had some problems with the language at Legia, everything was easy in Poland: we speak Italian with Glik who translates if there are any misunderstandings. Even Szczesny is now more Italian than us”.

And he confirmed himself as one of the strongest in the world thanks to saved penalties.

“He studies even when he’s off the pitch. He puts himself in front of the screen, he’s a fanatic of preparation and doesn’t rest until he’s memorized how all the opposing forwards kick: then he makes a save like the one against Messi look easy.”

Speaking of missed penalties, Lewandowski’s against Mexico cost first place in the group.

“The group could actually have been won. But a missed penalty can be part of the game, let alone if Robert deserves such a cross: in Poland he lives like a star, it’s not easy to deal with all that pressure. I’ve seen how he experienced the three days following the penalty: he was a lion in a cage, the champions can be seen from that grit. No, if I think back to an unfavorable episode, I see Zielinski’s chance against France 0-0: we had played a great game. If that ball had come in, I don’t know what we would be talking about now.”

Here, let’s talk about it. France won that race and went all the way.

“They play strong and they are aware of it. When we went out for the warm-up against them, I was impressed by their physical size: they are two-metre giants, including the younger ones. And in terms of mental strength, they are the strongest in the world: you can Bad for their Ballon d’Or striker? No problem, Giroud scores like him.”

How would you define Mbappé after seeing him up close?

“Well, impressive. He points you in speed and leaves you in place at any moment of the match. And together with him Griezmann is acquiring even more value: he also played everywhere against us. Today’s France reminds me of Spain a dozen years ago: they had a precise philosophy, that of the game. For Deschamps, on the other hand, the basic principle is the awareness of always being able to find the key to the game: there’s too much quality, it’s inevitable”.

“Totally amplified by Leo. He wins for competitive malice, and he also proved it against us. It was an inside or outside, they faced us as if to say: ‘we win this match because we want it too much’. They bite you, they have a temper It looks like they’re on a mission.”

You saw him up close: is it true that Messi has never been so close to Maradona?

“Comparisons in different eras are always wrong. I’m just saying that Leo is from another planet, out of category compared to anyone else. Only Ronaldo, the Phenomenon, impressed me like him. But I don’t see the comparison with Maradona, he’s not the case of doing so”.

“I think France can win, but I realize that there is so much positive energy around Messi that he will not have other opportunities to try and win this cup. Let’s say France, but with a lot of suffering and maybe several goals.”

Macron thinks like her.

“Let’s leave it to politics, please.”

Speaking of politics, instead: how did you find Qatar?

“It’s difficult to give an opinion on the country, considering that we lived completely armored, with the escort going in and out of the sports center. We couldn’t see anything around us, I suppose it was because of the fear of attacks. In any case, he gave me the impression of having become a power light years away from us. And it’s very hot during the day: we tried two workouts with the sun high, we had to put on 50 protection”.

Can you give us a name of a young Pole destined to explode?

“Obvious, perhaps: Zalewski will have a great career. So young and already used to the pressure of a big club.”

The most exciting moment of his World Cup.

“Easy. Argentina-Poland, warm-up. A ball kicked by our team invades the opponent’s half of the pitch: I go get it, Messi gives it back to me. In that moment you remember everything: Serie D, the sacrifices and the family watching you at home on television. You are in the most beautiful place in the world.”