November 1960. The new coach of "F.C
Internazionale", the French-Argentine Helenio Herrera is
interviewd in Milan by Max Urbini and Jean-Philippe Rethacker for
Football Magazine (mensual supplement of France Football).
At this occasion, "Mister H.H"
as he was nicknamed, talks about his work, his goals with Inter
(winning the scudetto, what would be achieved in 1963), his methods
(tactical, technical, psychological) not without arguing against the
idea that he woud be only a coach with defensive style for his team (due to the use of the 'libero'). Here is proposed the part of the
interview related to the Herrera's thoughts on players that he has
observed during his not over yet, far from that, coaching career.
Indeed, as he reveals to his
interviewers who ask him about what is his secret : "since
I'm a coach, I update a serie of notebooks including at first a note
card for all the Spanish, Italians, foreign players. On this card I
describe the player : he is tall, he is small, he is thin, he is
slow; he possesses a particular feint : on the right, on the left; he
marks closely his man, he covers; he has a good shoot : with the
right foot, he has no left foot etc." [...]. Another
notebook which is about international football allows me to describe
how are playing Red Star Belgrad, Wolverhampton, Reims or Dynamo,
Sekularac, Hanappi, Piantoni, Charlton or Voinov".
A bit later in the F.F article,
Herrera talks about some more or less illustrious players (more
'more' than 'less') that he had under his command, or not, in a more
precise way.
It starts with the players that he knew
during his spell at Stade Français (1945-1948) and Ben Barek .
"I had detected Larbi in
Casablanca. During a training camp that I was leading in Morocco, I
was attending to a match between Italian prisoners and a Morrocan
team. When I wanted him to join Paris they said that I was crazy.
They told me : 'Ben Barek, he is finished'. But he came for the
record transfert-fee of one million of francs. And Larbi made a 4
years brillinat career at Stade. Then 4 more at Atletico de Madrid.
Both clubs did not regret to acquire him, because in return, he brang
millions in. He was an exemplary athlete, who did not drink, who did
not smoke. Outstanding player, he had only one little defect, he was
not very fast. But his breath was inexhaustible, his passes were
millimetric and his intelligence of play was exceptional. He
progressed a lot in shooting in Spain where we like the 'goleadores',
the scorers. And what a charming boy, simple, faithull, serious. Very
practicing, I still can see him making his prayer into one
lockeroom's corner.
There was also Marcel Domingo; he was
one of the best keepers that I used to know. He was unfortunate to
play an unsuccessful France-Italy as he had a hand-injury. At an
international level, he should have had a more brillinat career
because he had a formidable grinding. He had more means than Darui.
Unfortunately Marcel always lacked ambition and self-confidence. As a
coach, he doesn't have the expected results for the same reasons.
Yet there was Nyers, the "Great
Nyers" as he called himself with modesty. I saw him at the
beginning of this season. He came to offer me his services at Inter
where he already played after his departure from Stade. He has grown
old. But what a winger it was : terrific shooting of the ball and
speed. He did not see the game clearly, but as there was Ben Barek in
addition!... Etienne [the French for Itsvan] was unfortunately a true
Magyar, fantasist, changeable, and not much thrifty. He earned a lot
of money but I'm not sure if he was able to save it".
Then Herrera briefly talks about
Grillon, Hon, Luciano with some anecdots about how their transfers
happened before to close this chapter about his career in France with
the Swede Carlsson, what constituted a good transition with Spanish
football : "Garvis Carlsson that I had detected in the 1948
Olympics, who stood two or three months at Stade before to join Atletico de Madrid and Spain where his fast play, his mobility, his
fineness allowed him to impose instantaneously and brilliantly
himself. The intelligent Garvis is today the A.I.K assistant-coach in
Stockholm".
Spain. Di Stefano : "in 1952 when
I saw in Madrid, for the 50 years of Real the Millonarios team, I
wrote in L'Equipe and
France Football : 'I've just
seen the best centre forward in the world'. I was not mistaken.! I
was then the first to propose a contract to him. He told me about his
trouble with River Plate, his illegal situtation and as the Atletico
de Madrid's directors were less buisnessmen than those of Real, it was
the latter who prevailed.
Alfredo
Di Stefano is really the most complete of all. He belongs to the
great football lovers circle like I do. He does not neglect any advice. He
said of me : 'He's the Saporta of the coaches'. One of the best
compliments ever given to me.
The second is Suarez, with a difference
of ten years? Yet he is more fine than Di Stefano, less powerful but
maybe more skilled in the work and the brushing of the ball. He has a
frail muscle, but thanks to the training that I imposed to him (no
exercises demanding force) he had overcome his fragility. He is an
intelligent and cheerful boy.
Then comes Kubala who is a technician
in a class of his own, a bit slow, more and more slow. He will be a
good coach for the young.
Kocsis is a very serious Hungarian,
exceptional player with the head and opportunist. He is always on the
lookout for the goals. Unfortunately he doesn't work much in defense.
The essential is to know how to use him as he is. Here is another
serious problem for the coach : knowing how to find the exact
position of a player and knowing how to compensate the weaknesses of
one with the forces of another.
Let's not talk about Czibor who is good
but a bit crazy. And not serious enough in life to make a true
footballer. He likes too much alcohol in particular.
Another Spanish footballer always made
a great impression on me : Sevilla's Pepillo who possesses the
super-class but who is unfortunately too frail, too devoid of
athletic means. If I had to set up a ranking, I would do it like that
:
1. Di Stefano
2. Suarez
3. Carlsson
4. Ben Barek
5. Evaristo
You'll take note by passing that they
are all strikers."
And now at Inter, our coach talks about
his new horsie : "since 18 years, Inter Milan is running after
the Champion of Italy title. The president Mr. Moratti (Italian oil
mogul) welcomed me saying this to me : 'I have been lucky in
everything in life, except for football. I hope that you will arrange
this!'
And I believe that it is again a
striker of class that will help me to reach this goal : Antonio
Angelillo, 23 years, a new Di Stefano".
Then 'Mister H.H' thinks critically
about the 'calcio' that he has just joined and about two players in
particular : "when I arrived here, I was surpised by two things
: primo the rythm of the calcio way more slower than the one of the
Spanish football, secundo the much prudent game, too defensive of the
Italian teams. I was still staying with the memory of the pre-war
Italian football, rapid, infernal, where us French men, were
regularly beaten for a split second in the attack of the ball. In
Spain, the temper and the qualities of the Latin still were here.
Here the Italian players play stopped, decompose their technique. I
believe that men like Liedholm or Schiaffino (old-fashioned stars)
caused harm.
Etc. etc. Then he says that with
Barcelona he played offensively so that he'll do the same with Inter,
that the catenaccio doesn't permit to become the champion.
Still about his current team, Inter, he later
talks a bit about Corso : "the little winger Corso will be soon
one of the best European players. He is a lefty and he reminds me
Puskas for his technique and skills and his shooting. He's not 20
yet". And talks again of Angellilo : "I have found here a
second Di Stefano, Argentine of origin him too, Angellilo (23 years
old). Believe me this one will become as strong as Alfredo. He is as
much complete, scores goals, sees clear, works much, shoots fast, is
quick and most of all is very calm in the decisive moment. This
placidity at the moment of shooting, it's the common point between
all the very great players. See Di Stefano, Suarez, Evaristo, Puskas.
I make use of Angellilo like Di Stefano, I let the rein down on his
neck".
We know that Angelillo will leave Inter
at the end of this season. Some months later, Football Magazine will
untitle an article as follows : 'Herrera-Angelillo it's over, because
of a blonde". Indeed, 'H.H' will reproach to the footballing
star a relationship with a famous actress of the time in Italy, to
what Angelillo will not react kindly, tired with the Herrera's
system, and making the choice of 'his freedom'.
Back on what Herrera expresses about
the players in this exchange with journalists, we can see pictures of
them illustrating the article and it is accompanied with captions
which are Herrera's words (use of brackets). Most of the time it is the same exact
ideas as transposed in the article. However, it is slighlty rephrased
for Ben Barek : "an exceptional athlete, whose the seriousness
and the simplicity were rivaled only by his class". The caption
that goes with the picture of Suarez brings a new point : "He is
less powerful but maybe more fine than Di Stefano. I believe that he
is the best current player."
Again, about Ben Barek and Nyers at
Stade Français, earlier in the article : "to get the most of an
exceptional combination like the one on the left wing of Stade
Français Ben Barek-Nyers (who fought like cat and dog), I said to
Larbi that he was the best as he set-up the goals and straight
after, I said to the Magyar that he was matchless as he was the one
who scores the goals".
We have concentrated mainly about his
view on the players here but anything goes in this article.
Here's the title and the introduction
of it :
---- ---- ---
---
HELENIO HERRERA : MY BLUFF IS WORK!
Picturesque character in world
football, Helenio Herrea is criticized by some, praised by other. He
drives on in spite of everything with his love for football, his
enthusiasm, his psychology and his secrets. What are they these
secrets of this coach made sorcerer? Max Urbini and J.-Ph. Retackher
went to Milan (where H.H is coaching this season at Inter), to
collect the confidences of Helenio Herrera on recorder. You will see
that he is not short of ideas in football. Only the psychology, the
hardwork, the study of the events and of men are efficient.
---
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--- ---------
A picture testify that the meeting
between 'the sorcerer' and the two journalists actually happened.
With, in the forefront, a big tape-recorder. For a pretty much
re-written interview assuringly (no use of brakcets in the article)
which still must naturally respect Herrera's own words, and his
ideas.
At the end of the article, there is
also a picture of Lorenzo Buffon (the uncle of 'Gigi', they're
resembling each other very much on this one) with that caption :
"under the Herrera's regime, Buffon lost weight and found wings
again (it is the same word for a regime and for a diet in French :
'régime'). There is also a picture of Herrera and his boys,
organized like a flock, Angelillo ahead, with the French-Argentine
leading them, sideways, like a shepherd. They're training very early
in the morning. In the first ranks, the boys look dreadful and/ or
asleep (a few keep their head up), under the surveillance of their
coach with tense face. The ones who are following, behind Herrera,
are just laughing (they keep looking at the ground though).
It is not the same picture than this
one here, but :
The Football Magazine picture looks
more 'right at the beginning of the training' and this one (source unknown) more
'end of the training' or of some exercise.
7 years later, in an interview
conducted by Robert Vergnes for France Football, Herrera is asked to
make a best XI based on what the coach had observed in the last 20 years.
"Let's look at this" he says. Then, pell-mell, he cites :
"Yashin, Pelé, Mazzola, Di Stefano, Facchetti, Armfield, Djalma
Santos, Boszik, Ben Barek, Suarez, Corso, Jonquet, Charlton, Kopa, Law,
Eusebio. You can see that there would be good stocks and very certainly that I
forgot some very good ones too...".
