Deschamps To Follow Juventus Blueprint
Tuesday 12th June 2001
Monaco coach Didier Deschamps has appointed two Italians as his assistant coach and fitness trainer. The former France captain has set his sights on qualifying for the Champions' League in his first season at the club.
It is clear that Deschamps is using Juventus' 1996 Champions' League win as the blueprint for success at the Principality club who have endured a miserable time since winning the French league in 2000.
And within three days of his appointment, Deschamps confirmed that his assistant will be Narciso Pezzotti, who was No 2 to Marcello Lippi during his glorious reign in Turin. The fitness trainer will be Antonio Pintus, who was at Juventus and Chelsea with Deschamps.
Deschamps said: "Some players have already left and there will certainly be others. But I don't want to talk about that out of simple respect. The objective for a club of this size is going to be to reach one of the three Champions' League qualifying places: we must absolutely particiapte at that level.
"I made the decision to join Monaco more or less a month ago. In the meantime, I've been working out details with president Campora."
Deschamps will not continue his playing career, he confirmed. "It stops just like that after 17 years of playing. It's strange to think that at the end of last week I participated in my final training session as a player, but I have such an interesting challenge ahead of me, that I have no time to think about it.
"We'll be getting together for the start of next season in just a few days. There are so many things to do. I want to introduce a style of play where the players enjoy themselves but I will not say right off that we will play in such-and-such a style.
"I must remind you that it's the players that make the team. And their main pleasure comes from winning."
