Italian mental coach Stefano Tirelli, who worked (and won) with Inter`s next opponent in recent months: “Brazilian football offers greater capacity for talent expression. It will be a balanced challenge.”
Stefano Tirelli knows Fluminense, Inter`s next opponent in the Club World Cup, well. The Italian mental coach worked alongside the Brazilian club, winning the Copa Libertadores in November 2023 and the Recopa in February 2024. He holds vivid memories of these triumphs, made even more current by his presence in the States during the tournament.
Tirelli, you were present during Fluminense`s historic double victory in the Copa Libertadores and Recopa. What do you remember about that experience?
`I remember so much energy and joy. It was a very intense experience with lessons learned professionally, culturally, and humanly. Particularly, the great contradiction of a magnificent land like Brazil, where the beauty of the territory and the energy of the people clash with the hardships of life for most inhabitants. Besides collaborating in football, I also held a series of volunteer meetings in one of Rio`s largest favelas (Vila Aliança), with my association Sport For Nature and with Craques da Vida, specifically to transmit to children and young people a concept of possible self-esteem and the possibility of trusting others. Just as if they were part of a great team to achieve goals that in this case were not exclusively sporting but were life lessons. Furthermore, I remember the magic of a celebration that lasted for days in the streets of Rio de Janeiro for Fluminense`s first-ever Copa Libertadores conquest, and then the Recopa in February of the following year. A celebration, a magic, the triumph in the Maracanã, one of the most iconic and mythical stadiums in world football, with truly indescribable energy and joy from everyone and everything, from the players to the public and the staff. I also remember the difficult conditions of that period in February 2024 due to the Dengue pandemic in South America, which indeed caused many difficulties in relationships between people, something few in Europe were aware of.`
How different is Brazilian football from Italian football?
`Essentially, Brazilian football offers a greater capacity for expressing one`s talent and instinct. Where even individual plays, often aimed at spectacle and entertaining the public, are not seen as a lack of tactical discipline or adherence to the coach`s instructions, but rather as part of the very culture of Brazilian football. There is a greater capacity to develop technique which is currently merging with a propensity for developing tactical sense due to the growth of many coaches. In this sense, Carlo Ancelotti`s arrival in the national team will further enrich the tactical football knowledge and training in Brazil. The pace is generally a bit slower, especially however when matches are played in conditions of torrid and humid heat which limits the ability to perform at high intensity for much of the game.`
What kind of team is the current Fluminense?
`More solid defensively compared to the 2023-24 team, guided by the skilled and innovative Fernando Diniz. With the arrival of Renato Gaúcho, they have acquired greater compactness in the non-possession phase. Diniz`s team was oriented towards spectacular, proactive football, based heavily on width and using fast players on the flanks. It was a creative, bold, engaging Fluminense but at times vulnerable in defense. In midfield and attack today, there are new signings and experienced players who bring solidity to the project.`
Are there still current players who were part of the historic `double` from your time at Fluminense?
`From that incredible team, goalkeeper Fábio remains, a player of great experience and leadership. In attack, Germán Cano, Keno, and Ganso. Defensively, but with excellent attacking capabilities, Samuel Xavier. In particular, I must mention among all the silent leader of great tactical intelligence, excellent technical and character quality, the Colombian John Arias.`
Were you able to greet them these days while you are in the United States watching your athletes and Club World Cup matches?
`No, not yet. Also because during this time in America I have been busy meeting players and staff from other teams. I hope to find time to go and greet them, at least at their hotel, although my commitments in Italy urge me to return soon. I would really like to, though.`
What kind of match will Inter vs. Fluminense be? `Quite balanced, as Inter comes from a very well-played match against River physically, tactically, and mentally. So, with growing self-esteem. Fluminense is in the same situation, because having passed the round, they feel they can contribute to growing this wave of Brazilian football, which, even if it were to exhaust itself in the next few days, should still be seen as a great success: bringing all four teams to the final phase is an excellent image for the `verde-oro` football system. I imagine a match with greater control from the Nerazzurri and more counter-attacks from Fluminense.`
How did you see Juventus in the Orlando match against City?
`Juventus` performance is difficult to explain because it`s clear that on one hand they faced a team already very organized physically, technically, and tactically. At the same time, it`s also true that it`s not always easy to activate mental quality when, on one hand, you have virtually the certainty of already having passed the round, and on the other, you make space for rotation to recover energy for the continuation of the competition. A match where there are gaps at a mental, tactical, and technical level can happen. The important thing, as in the rest of life, is to turn certain experiences into an opportunity to reflect and restart having acquired new lessons.`
In your career, you have worked for various teams and players across all continents. Are you surprised by the excellent performance of the Brazilian teams you know well in this Club World Cup?
`I am not very surprised by this recent growth in Brazilian football because the return home of many athletes and coaches who played for years in the biggest European clubs has enriched the technical knowledge of Brazilian football from a tactical and experience standpoint. As always, the combination of different experiences leads to a new mode of expression, of performance. Years ago, Brazilian players who played in Europe tended to end their careers returning home when their physical and motivational resources were almost exhausted. Today, the cultural exchange that also occurs through new technologies allows us to study tactical systems and the best tools for greater performance worldwide. Added to this is a broader adoption of athletic programs and healthy lifestyle habits aimed at implementing the organization of a new football that is much more current and much more balanced.`
From a mental perspective, how challenging is a Club World Cup in July, after an exhausting season for European teams?
`It`s certainly a good challenge because it`s the first time such a tournament is held with so much intensity in terms of travel (often very long between the team`s training camp and the destinations to reach), temperatures above average that are putting everyone involved to the test, not just the players but also the technical staff and everyone who is part of this great movement, including journalists and fans. From a mental point of view, it is necessary to live the experience day by day, avoid projecting thoughts too far ahead: this is because coming from a very trying season, athletes might have difficulty setting new goals and images for the near future. Staying in the moment, in the day, in the daily routine, in the training session of the moment, in the match to be played tomorrow is the best way to make the most of all that motivational and mental strength needed in such a moment. The mental aspect is more important and decisive than ever in these cases. Speaking of Brazilian football, it should be noted how Palmeiras is adopting real group mental training in this tournament with mental training sessions also thanks to specific latest-generation devices.`
The most difficult aspect, especially in the first phase, was not considering it… an end-of-season tour?
`Yes, when there are new things, like this Club World Cup, in the first phase, also encountering different types of teams with different technical and tactical qualities, one can often experience the event with relative curiosity. In reality, as also happens in the World Cup for Nations, once the first group stage is overcome, the most decorated and strongest teams begin to meet, and the competitive instinct naturally increases. With the pleasure and desire to test oneself against the greatest athletes of the same level.`
What do you take back to Italy from all this experience at the World Cup, which for you actually began 25 years ago?
`A lot of experience and mental openness, a lot of cultural richness, constant admiration for discovering new cultures, and the increasingly well-founded conviction that the synthesis of international sports knowledge, both in terms of performance and recovery, represents the best way to create value. As for me, I began following this personal philosophy back in the mid-90s and with great and constant passion I continue to transmit it to my university students and to all those who need my professional support in this regard.`
