Gokhan Inler, former footballer and current head of the technical area of Udinese. was a guest on the Radio TV show Serie A…
His words.
ON HIS ROLE. “This new role started quickly. I started officially from the first of July and it has been great. The kids need the support and experience I had during my time as a player. It’s definitely a different job now than when I was on the field; it’s another world. I like it because there is always something to do. I have always had the goal of giving my contribution to the guys to make them mentally ready, because in the end only the game matters. My job is to solve the question mark for the coach and the boys.”
DOES BEING A FORMER SOCCER PLAYER HELP HIM INTERACT WITH THE TEAM?. “For me it is fundamental to be close to the team. Taking the right information to act, to understand if there are positive or negative moments to solve. I have grown a lot over time, but the hunger to win is still the same. For them it’s a start and Udinese is a club where there is an opportunity to make good soccer.”
ON SWISS SOCCER. “In Switzerland there are many people like me who came from the Balkan area. However, I was born in Switzerland so I have a somewhat Swiss mentality. This has given me a specific DNA that I have carried into my career. With the national team we have a lot of good guys and strong players as seen in the last 15 years.”
ON UDINE AND UDINESE. “Udine is a place for young people, but we also have more experienced players. We have a good mix, in my opinion this Udinese is getting better and better, also in terms of structure and analysis of technical, tactical and physical data. I am happy to bring my experience to them, also because I have played here in the past. It may be that there is less pressure than in other places, but Udinese is an important brand, it is no coincidence that it has been in Serie A for 30 years. We have to create the pressure together with the fans to win every game. I don’t accept that people come here just to walk around. I want to help the boys have a great career.”
ON MARINO, DE BIASI AND GUIDOLIN (HIS COACHES DURING HIS TIME AS A PLAYER IN BIANCONERO). “I had good experiences with all the coaches I had in Udine. Marino always took care of the details, with him we had many competitions. It was not easy for him because we were so many in the squad. There were 30/40 players and there was a lot of competition, In three positions we had about eleven players. I started playing with him and it was very important. With De Biasi we were about two months, not too long, but he was always energetic. Guidolin was a stickler, he took care of every detail, and I am also one like that. He settled in well and then the results showed as well.”
ON SANCHEZ. “Alexis and I grew up together, he is a winner, he always wants to win and has had a beautiful career. He never gives up is what I like about him.”
WHAT WAS INLER LIKE AS A PLAYER? “I am a natural right-hander, but I used to struggle more with my left. When I played with friends I would try to use only my left foot to improve. When you try to play with your weaker foot you see and think differently. I also trained a lot with the wall to improve with both feet. I was also training on shots, right, left, from a distance. I would also look at the goalkeepers in front of me, but the most important thing was to focus on getting the best conclusions out because during the game there is not so much time to think.”
THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN UDINESE AND NAPLES. “Naples is a very warm place. They live for soccer. The most important aspect is mental. I was more at home concentrating and resting, trying to prepare as best I could because you have to win every game. During my Azzurri experience I had Mazzarri and Benitez as coaches. Mazzarri is wild, he works a lot on tactics. When I arrived he helped me a lot to fit into the team. Benitez also cares a lot about statistics and numbers. He is also programmed, like a Swiss you could say. I have important a lot from both of them.”
PREMIER LEAGUE WIN WITH LEICESTER. “Winning the Premier with Leicester in 2016 was a beautiful story. I had talked to Ranieri before going there because that team also needed a leader to accompany the group and he convinced me. I saw and learned soccer in a different way, playing little. The guys who played in my position never gave up, like me. Everyone put in their best and I gave my best to help the boys. My teammates always treated me with a lot of respect, however, in the end the group won. Although I experienced soccer from the outside and missed the national team, I still had the opportunity to win that trophy that year.”
BIANCONERI’S GOALS. “Runjaic has his own style. Eighty percent of the team is similar to last season. We took some young prospects. Last year was complicated for everyone, but we are still here. A club like Udinese deserves to be here in this position. Our goal is to create a precise DNA, we are working hard every day to establish the right and winning mentality. The work is there and so are the players, but we need to raise the bar. I don’t like the comfort zone. This is how you move forward and create a different environment. Scouting is the strength of this club and now seeing it as a manager I understand certain dynamics a lot. It is thorough and very important work because in the end you arrive on really specific points before you buy a player. The club is nurtured by this characteristic, we invest when we are sure. I always thank the president for this and I am glad that we can work together.”
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