Ludergnani: “Turin, two scudetti fruit of programming”

Since 2021 Ruggero Ludergnani has been responsible for the Turin youth sector. In 8 days the grenades conquered two badges, first with the under 18-Rome beaten 2-1 to the extra time in Latina-and then with the under 17-Milan defeated 5-3 to the penalty kicks in Frosinone-, for a historic brace. For the happiness of the urban president Cairo, who thanked him publicly at the end of the game of the little ones, underlining how the double success is “the testimony of a job done in depth in the youth sector”.

Ludergnani, you won two youth scudetti in the same season. If he should choose the basic ingredient, what would it be?

“I resume a word that I used on the evening of the Under 18 championship: programming. Of course, it takes luck, the episodes must turn well. But these are the first two groups that I inherited in the under 14 and under 15 in 2021, when I arrived at Turin. We shaped insertions, methodology, mentality. We passed through disappointments: I remember what we did in the derby with the 2008 in the Under 15, the faces that were there, lived.

President Cairo thanked her and Davide Vagnati, who brought her to Turin. Have you heard?

“We felt, we exchanged messages. We had already seen each other on Monday to share the programming of the next season, I had brought him the Under 18 Cup, now we will meet again and I will also bring him that of the Under 17. I can do nothing but thank him. Among so many difficulties that can be had, he made me work carrying on my ideas. Obviously respecting the budgets that a company rightly made me, And for those who do the manager, in my case the head of the youth sector, having autonomy in their work is a big advantage.

How many people are behind such a success?

“Since I started doing this job I have always said that in the youth sector, the manager alone can do nothing, so full -bodied the movement behind it is behind. Starting from my closest collaborators, the scouting manager Davide Caprari, the secretariat, the tutors, the organizational manager, the school tutor, the drivers, the warehouse workers, every single staff, at the medical area, there are many people inside a youth sector. There are many people to keep together and many situations to manage.

Which of the two titles surprised him most?

“The second, also because after winning the brace with Under 18 it seemed impossible to me, if only for a statistical speech. These are two different championships, with different rules, but in both of them have been made incredible paths. In the whole season the under 17 has lost only twice, always against Cesena. Then it has not happened anymore, not even in the playoffs. In my opinion it is a very significant fact. They were waiting for him and we had always gone close to it.

When you win on penalties there is always a little luck. The under 17, however, also showed tenacity and coldness.

“They were a constant, from the quarterfinals onwards. With Inter we suffered so much, in the first leg we overturned it in the last 5 minutes, in Milan we suffered for half an hour, we went under, then we reassembled and in the final we lived six minutes of apnea. Even the Udinese in the semifinal deserved, but also against them we did not give up. The final was the emblem, at a certain point the Milan was still in the difficulty, Yet we came out of it.

Five penalties pulled impeccablely, Luongo even closed with the spoon. Cereser, as well as Anino in the Under 18, has shown that he is a very mature goalkeeper.

“Let’s say that Luongo also made us suffer, with that choice. As the coach said, we expected that he would make that gesture, but between saying and doing … great gesture of personality, but also of suffering for us. The one on the goalkeepers, as well as on other players, is a job that starts from afar, on the mentality of the groups and the single boy. We try not to leave out anything. Nobody, especially in difficult moments.

How did you get to David Reynheim, of the Far Oer islands?

“It is part of the work of a scouting group that I want to thank. We have all our contacts, we see video. We had a report, we knew that this boy had already made the Conference League with his club. We saw that we can work. We came to him through this great group work”.

Many come from the Turin football school.

“We need a mix of things. We need an important local basis, being attentive to the local, regional, national, European market. Cantarella had been to us, last year he was under 16 at Ascaris, we went to take it back. Bonacina has always been to us, Bianchi came from the Under 15. Many different paths”.

What value can the opening of the Sportivo Centivo Robaldo have?

“It will be a fundamental impulse. For two years, with President Cairo, we have worked on Orbassano in order to make the spring, the under 18s and the under 17 work together. This has already been jumping quality, the two badges are demonstrated as well as the growth of those who arrived in the first team from spring. Robaldo will give the impulse to a movement that is already growing”.

Spring has had some more difficulties.

“In the spring winning, winning is very difficult. It should not be taken for granted that everything is easy, there are dynamics that can condition the performance, we have given a lot to the first team this year and this is a value. It is true that from spring we expected more, but it was not a disappointing tournament, it is not fair to say if we take into consideration the level of the tournament. The thing to do “.

From Cacciamani to Perciun, from Dellavalle to Gabellini, from Silva to Dembélé, many made his debut in A or on loan in professional clubs. Do you think there can be many even in the next season?

“I add Alieu Njie, who in his moment of maximum performance with the first team stopped by injury. Many worked with the first team, they tasted the Serie A. We have to give everyone the time necessary to look out the football of the greats. I do not make names, I can only say that the material is there. Then it is the task of the director of the technical area Davide Vagnati and the staff of the first team to evaluate who is ready, who can go on loan.”

Can we say that the explosion of Gineititis is the symbol of his work?

“Gineitis is an example of how we work. But we must not stop at him, we want there to be more. And we want the Turin youth sector to be felt like a family in which you can support your boyfriend, and get closer to the football of the great. Gineitis, Njie, periun, they are guys who must be impulse for all the movement, like the badges. There is a job behind them. I have always spoken to me. under everyone’s eyes.