[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, Swiss, SunSans-Regular]De Laurentiis has plan B[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis wants to introduce a new element to the current structure of Italian football – B teams.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]The Azzurri chief believes Serie A should follow the lead of the Spanish by launching B teams in the lower Divisions.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]Several of La Liga’s biggest clubs run a second team in the Spanish Segunda Division.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]The movie mogul said: “Why is it not possible to have a Napoli B and Inter B, a Roma B and a Lazio B playing in the Serie B championship?[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]“Of course, as in Spain, there would be no possibility of promotion to Serie A.”[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]De Laurentiis feels that such a step would help solve the problem of clubs having unhappy players in their squad.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]“It would be possible to put players who are keen to play into the second team, giving them a chance to perform at a better level,” he added.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]“However, they tell me it is not possible, but I do not understand why…”[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]Luis Enrique was handed the Roma job this summer after he impressed as Coach of the Barcelona B [/FONT] ------------------------------------------------------- I think it would give clubs better opportunity to monitor their talent rather than loan them out to clubs that have no idea how to nurture young players. I think Serie A needs more guys like De Laurentiis
Look at many of my previous posts and I've been saying this for a while. Our primavera players need that bridge into first team football, and god knows almost all the teams don't give them the chance. Heck they could start in Serie C for all I care, just get them training with the first team and playing real competition week in and week out.
I added a poll to the thread so people could vote. Personally I dislike the idea of B teams. I don't want a second Roma or like the thought of it. Honestly I don't even know why, but I don't. I also wonder if this idea would even be financially plausible in Italy. I don't see many people going to these matches, and the entire thing could become a burden on the parent club. For me I think I would be more interested in creating a form of cooperation between major Serie A clubs and smaller regional clubs. If this could be put together, and it is a major if, then it would help both Serie A teams and smaller B and C teams without destroying these smaller clubs and replacing them with clone teams. The difficulty would be in finding a formula that is beneficial to all. If you want to keep the clubs separate that you need some system that sees free loans given and maybe some financial incentive from the league to these smaller teams for playing their on loan players, or some for of tax incentives. Alternatively, maybe bigger clubs could buy minority shares in smaller teams but then you risk creating situations with conflicting interests should both teams find themselves in A.
I think if anything it inhances Serie B. I can guarantee you that there would an increased interest in the league if a team like Juventus or Roma had a second squad. I do agree that there should be a better partnership between the big clubs and the smaller ones, but there already are in most cases and this is the problem. These smaller clubs aren't giving the players the proper coaching. Obviously not every club would be able to afford this. The only team I can see having no trouble implementing a B squad is Juve since they own their stadium now. They don't have to rent it out. I doubt De Laurentiis would make a Napoli B play at the San Paolo.
I doubt very much that people would have more interest in Serie B with B squads of Serie A teams. All Serie A teams have youth sectors and there isn't this great interest in them, except in the most hardcore of fans. The people watching Serie B do it because their city is participating in the league. I struggle to believe that fans would go to twice the games all of a sudden. Another thing is that just because Juve owns their own stadium doesn't mean they have this golden ticket. Having a B team playing in your stadium would double your expenses. From staff, to maintenance, to power, and clean up. With earnings likely being a fraction of what they are for Serie A games. A team like Juve which has such a small fan base in Torino would be especially risky because why exactly will come see Serie B home games? People seem to think owning a stadium will garantuee English team like revenues, unfortunately Juve or other Italian teams can't sell Arsenal priced tickets.
Don't we already have that? I know that my club (Fiorentina), for example, has 4 owned players playing for each of Campobasso (Lega Pro 2nd Div) and Carrarese (Lega Pro 1st Div) and at least 3 guys for Juve Stabia (Serie B). Outside of Italy we had three of our higher rated guys playing for Eupen (Belgian First Div) last season. I'm sure most Serie A clubs have built relationships with other clubs. I have not yet voted in the poll as I need to ponder it a bit more as I have always enjoyed watching Serie B. Maybe put a cap on how many B teams are allowed in Serie B or something like that? Not sure how it works in Spain.
In Spain the teams don't start in the Segunda division, they start lower and have to work their way up, but they can never get promoted into La Liga. For them there's promotion and relegation, but like I said they will never be in the top division. I think it's a good idea because they train with the first teram, they learn the teams systems and playing styles and they still get good competition instead of rotting away at some team that they're loaned out for for a season. The teams rarely play at the main stadiums, but I think the cost outweighs any drawbacks because they experience they gain within the club can be invaluable.
I just don't see why we can't find our own way instead of trying to completely copy another model. Which by the way seems to benefiting only one club. It's just like this push for new stadiums, they want to copy the English model thinking they might be able to sell tickets at English prices. All the while they create more and more obstacles for fans that want to buy tickets. They just not confirmed that they will stop clubs from selling season card to fans with the tessera del tifoso. Slightly counter productive. There is no reason why clubs can't bring their youth teams closer to their first teams. Make the youth team play the same formation as the first team, have them train together. Roma starting doing this with the arrival of Sabatini and Baldini in the summer, without having to create a B team.
I am unsure but lazio already doing that. I think lotito bro bought a club in serie b, and they are loaning there players there. i am unsure on the info though. IMO it would help. Rather then loaning your players to different clubs, you would have them in one team. They would grow with each other and build a chemistry.
I want to add another point.If you look at the recent international tournaments its all won by teams not individuals. Argentina for all the talent they have, win nothing.Spain individuals are much less talented then Argentina IMO, yet they win. Because they have a team. Ivory coast have so many players in europe, so does ghana... but at the end its always egypt who wins the african cup of nations with majority of there players being from egyptian league. Greece 2004, Italy 2006, Spain 2008 & 2010 were all teams that won. Messi sets the world on fire in barca, but with argentina he turns into an ordinary player. If you add an italia U - 23 b as well, it will help the italian national team as well.They would build a chemistry together
I disagree there. As a Napoli fan, i'd rather watch any Serie A -B team (Milan, Juve, Roma) play than Gubbio and Nocerina and i'm sure they would even get more TV ratings. Also, while it is true that italian teams don't focus much attention on their youth sectors, doesn't mean it's right. There's a good reason calcio is in the hole right now. The italian way of doing things does not work anymore. I applaud guys like De Laurentiis because he's trying to change things. I guess in the end it down to whoever wants it. De Laurentiis wants a B-team, let's try it out.
Having the youth team mirror and train with the first team is only the tip of the iceberg. The massive point that many of us keep missing is the PLAYING part. For a completely unnecessary example witness youth soccer in the US. As a product of it I've always known and witnessed that US youth soccer players are on par with virtually every nation. But somewhere between U-17 competition and the professional football/national team ranks a large gap exists; a huge talent drain. Its an unfamiliar philosophy internationally but in American English this drain is called "college soccer." Strange idea, isn't it? What is "collegiate athletics" other than a place for players who couldn't or didn't go professional when the rest of the worlds talented players did? Sure, guys like Messi and Totti are dumb as shit, but they were plying their trade professionally as 16-17 year olds and it worked out ok for them. The same talent drain is occurring in Italy, and its called the Primavera. Where else do you park 20 year old kids not good enough to play for the first team, but you know they won't get a fair shake in a Serie B club because of the archaic and geriophilic tendencies in Italy towards youngsters? PRIMAVERA! If we want to talk about copying other countries, you're right we don't have to do it wholesale, but what Italy HAS to do is what Barcelona does with its young players... find a way for them to PLAY against ADULTS. Repeat after me: PLAY against ADULTS. That is the secret people! And really, its not a secret at all.
i am against the idea of an italian u-23 team in serie B, but im completely for B teams. with a B team you have the chance to have your players grow together, can play them same formation as the senior side, give playing time to who you want to see play, and keep them in the culture of the club. like it must be hard to feel like a juventus player when your off on loan at pescara or spezia, where as with a B team you still get to be in the same scene, wear the same jersey etc.
I've thought about it plenty over the last week and yeah, I'd be in favor of reserve teams starting in the lower tiers and being able to get promoted to the league below the first team.
i think this can only happen when teams own their own stadiums but then again im not to sure about that do Spanish teams own their own stadiums ?
Owning your own stadium is not a magical cure. You know you need to pay the bills that come with running it. AS Roma - Fiorentina in the Primavera Super Cup the Olimpico was absolutely deserted. If Roma owned the stadium they would have lost an boat load of money.
play the games at the training ground, or wherever the primavera plays. the crowd isn't going to be big but thats not the point, but also definitely not worth running the real stadium. like for juve, play them at vinovo, if theres not a suitable venue there then pay a little and throw some stands around one of the fields.
Which would clearly disqualify them from playing in a professional competition like Serie B which has requirements about the venues used.
yes...... there is no excuse for teams like Milan, Juve and now Napoli not to have B teams where their u23 players, etc can get experience and develop like they do @ Barca, Villarreal etc. Italian football needs to stop thinking Short Term... e,g The amount of monies Juve wasted buying crap players recently would have bank rolled a whole team in Serie B and likely produced player/s for Juve I say Good for LE to give Borini a chance @ Rome .. who developed @ Chelsea and then shined on his loan Swansea. P.S At least De La @ Napoli and DiBe @ Roma think out of the box, not like some tired old owners of Serie A team who still live in the 20th century. .
I don't know if any of you get the Corriere dello Sport print edition but on this morning's cover there is an article titled "Sul Modello Spagnolo: Fiorentina, Juve e Milan vogliono una squadra B." If someone (DDR?) could post a summation that would be awesome.
Nicky, here's something along the same lines. Clubs propose reserves enter Serie B The Italian League is reportedly considering a proposal put forward to allow reserve teams to compete at Serie B and Lega Pro level. It is one suggestion put forward this week at a conference chaired by Arrigo Sacchi at Coverciano and attended by the heads of youth development at each of Serie A's teams.
