Javorcic: “Work and good reading. With my philosophy I will conquer Venice”

He presents himself after leading Sudtirol for the first time in Serie B, with the best defense in Italy. He rediscovers the category after playing with Brescia, in a Venice that considered him the ideal coach to manage his Babel of players. Here is Ivan Javorcic, one with whom one can speak of Aramu as of Dostoevsky.

Two years ago he launched Gatti at Pro Patria, last year he had an iron defense. First of all do you watch your back?
“No. I see football in a holistic, total way. What counts is knowing how to do everything well. The effectiveness in defense comes from how you manage the ball, if you behave well behind you create the conditions to be dangerous. What counts is having strong players.”

What concepts does it convey? “Attitude and feeling in wanting to protect the door. Pure pragmatism. A basis of work culture and desire to improve to become a team. You create the mentality through great daily work”.

How much is due to his readings?
“There is a scientific approach, due to personal curiosity. I like studying, getting to know other coaches: Bielsa for his approach, very deep and clean, then Klopp and Guardiola, the best known. And my compatriots Juric and Tudor”.

And the philosophy?
“I follow the thinking of the Stoics, a very realistic approach to everyday life. I grew up in the former Yugoslavia with the influence of the great Russian writers. I like Dostoevsky’s realism, how he questions suffering”.

What suffering is there in football? “Structural, organizational. This is a pure game, salvation is the structure of the game, but the values ​​are lacking and a more moral direction is needed”.

And what direction do you need to follow to score?
“I spend more time training the way to manage the ball than the defense: we have to dominate the game. The teams are organized, we need to find new ways to score. In front of the world it is more complex.”

In Venice you have the Aramu knot: does it go or stay?
“You have to live with the market, there is a bit of discomfort. Aramu doesn’t argue, he plays for us and I treat him as one of us”.

What Venice did you find?
“The environment wants to react. They have been two very intense years, we are rebuilding the foundations to always be competitive”.

The company wanted it strongly, enough to pay a penalty to Sudtirol.
“I have found executives of absolute value. This desire made me proud, and it fills me with responsibility”.

Did speaking several languages ​​help you with US property?
“Definitely. Here there is a crossroads of cultures, it is very complex: a winning team is created even by speaking the same language. I speak Croatian, Italian and English, I studied a little German in Bolzano, I understand Spanish and French “.

Speaking of foreigners: Blessin’s Genoa will be at the debut.
“Great charm. Two clubs with a great history that come from a disappointing year. I followed Blessin’s work, I’m curious to say goodbye: I’ll do it with the language of football, you understand each other on the fly”.

How do you find the B?
“A lot has changed, as has all football. This B also intrigues abroad, and with the stop for the World Cup we will be able to show off more.”

How did you see Venice from Croatia? “With great admiration for what he has given to the history of humanity. In Dalmatia we have been under the influence of the Serenissima for more than 300 years. I have to know the city thoroughly, for me it is a great opportunity for growth and a sign of respect. I hope I have time, because I live at the sports center from morning to night. I count on my wife to do it. “