International management is no Country for young men

Photo of Plato

Two weeks have passed since Italy were ousted on penalty kicks to Spain and i am still disillusioned by the hire of Roberto Donadoni.Actually my feelings toward his hire and the job he has done have remained the same from day one.I have always looked at this hire with one eye flinching in horror and with a slight turn of my head.The way a person would if they saw a child behind the wheel of a car.The idea and emotional fear attached with that sight makes us cringe at the thought of impending disaster.

But how does a guy in his forties with such limited coaching experience 2001-02 Lecco,2002-03 Livorno,2003-04 Genoa get the ITALIAN JOB? Look at that again,a great player retires coaches Lecco and with four years of work experience under his belt is given the World Champions?Just like that.

A college degree is earned in four years,then a student enters the world and he or she must understand that within four years of their graduation they will not be given the Presidency of BMW on their limited work experience no matter how promising he or she is.

Knowing this i have always felt Donadoni would be the greatest victim of this appointment from club manager to national side Ct.It was an unfair assignment at this station in his life.

International management is a game for old and tired sages who are the guru's atop the mountain.It is the realm of the older man who has suffered and learned wisely from his knocks.The International job is for the leader who understands himself perfectly and is so sure of his identity and his tactics that the first storm at sea will not rock his confidence.

Lets look at every World Cup winner and finalist since 1982.

Enzo Bearzot was 55 when he led Italy to victory in Spain82 Bearzot brought with him 18 years of work experience.

Carlos Bilardo was 48 years old when he led Argentina to Glory in Mexico86.Bilardo was young but was gifted with Maradonna and at least 15 years of work experience.

Beckenbaur was 45 at Italia90 when West Germany became Champions, its true he was very young and like his life is the exception to all rules.

In USA94 it was Mario Zagallo of Brazil who was 63 years old and had managed for 25 years by then.

In 1998 it was Aime Jacquet of France who was 57 and had 22 years under his belt.

In 2002 Brazil was led by Felipe Scolari who was 54 and had managed for 20 years before winning his World Cup.

Finnaly in 2006 it was the 58 year old Marcello Lippi with 24 years of wisdom earned from his time in the Serie A.So what have we learned?

Well the last seven World Cups were won by men with an average age of 54 who had managed at least 18 years before being given the reigns of their national sides.(Luis Aragones of European Cup Champions Spain is 70 with 31 years of work experience)

Roberto Donadoni was 43 when hired with 4 years completed as a manager. Whats wrong with this picture? Obviously alot,its been said that Donadoni was the beneficiary of Demetrio Albertini's kindness,being his teammate at AC MIlan during their greatest years.But to me it was an act of cruelty by Albertini to throw his friend into a swimming pool that was really a pot of boiling water. The Italian job brings with it incredible pressure,scrutiny and now for Donadoni much ridicule. I wish Donadoni had the foresight to see this job was an apple he shouldn't have taken a bite out of despite its beauty.

As for Roberto Donadoni he should be given another job in the Serie A.He is not a horrible man or manager.There like his predecessors he can learn his craft in the boiler room of the Serie A.Maybe in fifteen to twenty years he can be given another chance,that is of course if the memories of 2008 can fade away in the minds of his countrymen.