We have delved in the archives and found some interviews from Ivano Bonetti and Claudio Caniggia from 20 years ago.
Bonetti had just arrived to take charge at Dens and sat down with the official website to talk about the upcoming pre-season and his targets.
Below is the article which was posted of the website that day –
On Saturday afternoon we spoke to Dundee’s new boss Ivano Bonetti at Dens for the first time. It was less than 24 hours after he had arrived to take charge, but he’d already taken his first training session. From some of what I’d read in the press I assumed that most of the talking would be done through interpreter Dario Magri but Ivano’s English was actually very good and he was happy to take the time to speak to our web based fans. What was Dundee FC Online’s first impression of the new manager? We liked him (and Dario Magri) a lot and we’re even more excited about the start of the season than we were before. Ivano was excellent to talk to and we hope to do a lot more of these interviews during his first season in charge. Here’s our chat with Ivano.
Dundee FC Online – First day of training today?
Ivano – Yeah, the first session this morning was very, very easy, very nice, just for warming up and a loosen up and today we’ve got a second session. Probably technically and tactically, but very easy, just for starters.
Dundee FC Online – Did you work with the ball from the start?
Ivano – Today? Yeah, we start with the ball, some exercises technically, but very easy, very easy things.
Dundee FC Online – Will you be doing most of the fitness stuff before you go to Italy?
Ivano – No, No, We start very easy here in Dundee for five or six days and then we start to work hard in Italy. I mean physically.
Dundee FC Online – Do you have games arranged in Italy?
Ivano – No, because what I said before our intention is to work very athletic, very hard, then play friendly match between us. After that we will come back in the Scottish and play some friendly matches.
Dundee FC Online – You’re playing Grimsby, we’ve had a big reaction on the Internet from Grimsby fans and a lot of Dundee fans are going down to that game. I think there could be between 500 and 1000 Dundee fans who travel.
Ivano – This is very, very good news because I believe that when the team want to start and work hard and do well on the pitch they need the fans. Because the fans can give you enthusiasm and the players they feel the responsibility to do well an this is a good medicine for starting to play in the league. I am happy for this, very, very happy.
Dundee FC Online – Will you be introducing Italian ideas on diet and lifestyle?
Ivano – I think, when we speak from an Italian part, We have to learn something about the Scottish mentality, I believe this, and in the meantime the Scottish player or person they have to learn something from Italy. We can mix it together I think we can do well.
Dundee FC Online – Are we likely to see more players coming in?
Ivano – Probably yes – Probably not, It depends, in these 20 days I have a chance to know better all the player that I have in the squad at the moments. After we can check if we need in some position, probably one player or two players can come up.
Dundee FC Online – There’s talk in the paper about your friend Lombardo?
Ivano – (Laughs) Yeah, I spoke with him a few times ago, and then before he signed for Lazio, because he’s my close friend and he’s a nice guy. And he said to me “Look – when I quit in Lazio, if you like I can join Dundee” and I said “Look if I will be there – still there, to be manager I can bring you” because he’s got, obviously, quality but he’s physically like a young player. It can happen in the future-Why not?
Dundee FC Online – Do you intend playing?
Ivano – Yeah, When I said I had to check the situation if I play or not it was because I had to see all my management and the rest of the management if it was properly professional. And then what I see is I have good management and they allow me to. Because normally it is difficult to play and be manager, but if you have good collaboration you can do that I think. And then I decide to play.
Dundee FC Online – What’s your target for this season?
Ivano – One thing that’s important is to enjoy the fans, to show them that we are generals on the pitch, try to give them all the best in quantity and quality, and commitment. Obviously we try to stay in the top six, this is what we try and then we can see what’s happening.
Another article we found in the archives was a sit down that Claudio Caniggia carried out with Channel 4’s Gazzetta Football Italia.
C4 – How have you found Dundee and Scotland?
Claudio – It’s good, I’m quite used to moving around and so I find it quite easy to adapt to new places.
C4 – But it’s very cold here isn’t it?
Claudio – Let’s say the weather is not great especially at this time of year.
C4 – If someone had told me last year that Dundee were going to get Bonetti, Caniggia and the other Italians I would never have believed them?
Claudio – Well, football has changed a lot. Before it was difficult to move – now you get players and managers constantly moving abroad, but I think it’s a good thing – especially for the inferior footballing nations. It’s even helped Italian football in the past – the foreigners who went there in the eighties strengthened it. The same thing then happened in Spain and England.
C4 – What do you make of Scottish football
Claudio – It’s very physical with lots of hard tackle. But I think it’s entertaining because both teams attack for the whole 90 minutes. Of course technically you can’t compare it to Italian or Spanish football, but it’s still very interesting.
C4 – Can your style and the way you think about football help your Scottish colleagues?
Claudio – I hope so, It’s important that young players watch in the way that I watched the good players around me when I was starting out – I always wanted to see if I could copy a trick or do something similar.
C4 – Who did you watch or learn from?
Claudio – I wouldn’t say I copied him but I played with Diego a lot, and used to try and copy certain things.
C4 – You stole a few tricks from Diego?
Claudio – Well you can try, but Diego’s technique is something else – his movement was impossible to emulate.
C4 – Is it true that Diego Maradona is meant to be coming to Dundee for a game?
Claudio – Yes, Diego is a great friend of mine, so I invited him to come and play a game with Dundee.
C4 – And so is he coming?
Claudio – He’ll most definitely come to play this game.
C4 – Do you think Dundee would be able to sign him?
Claudio – I don’t think so! It would be very difficult.
