Via echo
“Liverpool cult hero is now completely unrecognisable as a manager”.
It’s admittedly true. When signed by Rafa Benitez in a £7m deal in July 2008, Dossena was a skinhead defender
Sold to Napoli 18 months later at a loss following a disappointing stint at Anfield, he returned with thick, dark locks when facing his former club in the Europa League the following season.
The 42-year-old is now manager of Serie C side Pro Vercelli, enjoying his fourth managerial stint since first taking to the dugout in 2019
Now boasting lighter, tied-back long hair, he looks very different from when he famously downed Real Madrid and Manchester United in the space of a week back in March 2009
In truth, the Premier League winter break is probably a prime time for such ‘unrecognisable’ content to emerge.
Although in the third tier, they are one of Italy’s most historic clubs. Pro Vercelli might not have competed in Serie A since 1934/35
With seven league titles, only Juventus, Internazionale, AC Milan, and Genoa have lifted more.
Of course, a number of former Liverpool players from the Benitez era are now trying their hand at management. Xabi Alonso is the standout, thriving at Bayer Levekrusen, while Steven Gerrard’s reputation has taken a hit since winning the Scottish Premiership with Rangers
The chances are, you will have next to no idea about Dossena’s own managerial career in comparison
Dossena first took charge of Serie D side Crema, move on to Ravenna before stepping up to Serie C side Renate after a solitary campaign.
He was on the move again after another single season when taking over at Pro Vercelli last summer.
with Pro Vercelli currently fourth in Serie C (north), a promotion push is in his sights once more.
Dossena
“I chose Vercelli because I wanted a team that would allow me to work as I wanted,”
"The season, even though we are only halfway through, is very positive.
“I chose to leave Renate last year because I understood that the group had reached the limit in terms of motivation so I decided to change club.
"I love this job obsessively and I think I can pass this message on to the guys I've had over the years, I try to push them beyond their limits and then these results can be seen on the pitch.
“The initial ambitions (with Vercelli) were to have a quiet championship, perhaps trying to get into the play-offs (top ten).
"For me you can only make the climb by demonstrating in the field without any shortcuts.
So now that we are fourth and we have valorised some young players, we are all happy.”
A career in management is something Dossena has wanted long before he moved to Liverpool in 2008.
And while he would later return to England courtesy of stints with Sunderland and Leyton Orient as a player, the former Italy international admits he would like to return again, this time as a manger, if the opportunity ever arose.
Dossena said
“Since I was 20 years old in my first years as a professional, I understood that in post-football, the only role I liked was the coach,”
“Fortunately, dreaming costs nothing and allows you to work harder and harder every day to achieve your goal, so I think that each of us who wants to be ambitious should aim for the maximum.
“At the moment the best in football means the Premier League so yes, one day I would like to coach in England.”
Dossena only made 31 appearances for the Reds, with just five coming in his second season at the club before signing for Napoli midway through the 2009/10 campaign.
Looking back, the Italian admits he doesn’t think he worked hard enough to succeed and puts his struggles down to inexperience.
Dossena adds
“For a young boy having his first experience abroad, it was certainly not easy,”
“The Premier League is very different from the Serie A and, unfortunately for us Italians, much more beautiful!
“In Italy we have a culture of work that is much more based on quantity, while you (in England) are very good at having an optimal quantity/quality ratio. In my opinion we lack this in order to adapt to your football because when we no longer work, as the quantity contains, the quality decreases accordingly.
“At least this was my problem in my case. I came from a culture of a lot of weekly work and in Liverpool we played every three days and we never trained.
"I would have had to train in my personal time so that at the time of my employment, I could have been at my 100%.
“I spoke to Benitez, I wasn't physically well. It wasn't his fault but I understood that I had to work on my own. But being inexperienced I didn't do it. My fault!
“If I went back instead of passively accepting it, I would behave differently. Now with the experience I certainly have in terms of daily work, I would make other choices.
“When I left, I wanted to return to Italy because, from speaking with Marcello Lippi (Italy manager), the best way to take my chances of earning a place in Italy's squad for South Africa (2010 World Cup) was to return to Italy.
“I certainly regret not being able to give my best due to my inexperience. No regrets about joining the club though, because in any case, Liverpool helped me grow both as a man, a footballer at the time, and as a coach today.
Comments