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Fiorentina has Fatih Terim's success raises profile of Turkish soccer
When he first arrived in Serie A less than six months ago he was greeted about as warmly as a guy in cut-off Levi's and a Grateful Dead T-shirt at a formal debutante ball. He did not speak the language, he had just one European trophy to his name and, well, he was Turkish. To the snobbier and more ignorant members of the Serie A fraternity, Fatih Terim simply did not belong. Despite the strides made by Turkish soccer in the past few years, it was still seen as a backwater. And for flamboyant chairman Vittorio Cecchi Gori to pick this strangely intense man to run Fiorentina, a club with dark-horse title ambitions, seemed, frankly, ludicrous. How wrong the naysayers were.
How ignorant their stereotyped perceptions of the game. How ridiculous to assume that only Italians, Spaniards, South Americans, Dutchmen and, occasionally, Swedes understand the finer points of coaching. Terim has taken Serie A by storm, propelling Fiorentina to third place (no small feat in Year One of the post-Gabriel Batistuta era) and, just as importantly, preaching an aggressive, entertaining style of soccer. In fact, he has been so impressive that none other than AC Milan has been knocking on his door for next season, though Fiorentina is unlikely to let him go. Terim's strengths go beyond coaching and tactics. He is a brilliant motivator, a creative thinker and boasts what you would call nerves of steel. After a disappointing early season display, Cecchi Gori, one of the more volatile owners in the business, publicly criticized the team. Terim did not miss a beat. "If the chairman doesn't like the way we play, he should come and say so to my face," he said. "If he doesn't like me, he can fire me. But what he must not do is slam us in public and undermine my players' confidence." The excitable Cecchi Gori went ballistic, demanding a public apology from Terim and threatening to ax him. It was the players and the fans, however, who rose to his defense. In a few short weeks he had won their trust and it became clear that they were not going to let Cecchi Gori run him out of town. On that occasion, Terim showed the courage and nerve that have quietly turned him into one of the game's top managers. It's not as if he was a nobody when he arrived at Fiorentina. After all, he had led Turkey to Euro 96 and had enjoyed an incredible four years at Galatasaray, winning four Turkish titles, two Turkish cups and a UEFA Cup -- the first European title in the country's history. Still, winning in Serie A is another matter. The pressure may be just as intense, but the competition is much fiercer. Furthermore, Fiorentina's financial position didn't exactly make it easy for him. Living legend Gabriel Batistuta was sold to Roma for US$34 million over the summer, leaving a gaping hole up front. There was little money to spend and he only made three major signings: midfielder Amaral and strikers Leandro and Nuno Gomes. To make matters worse, Amaral injured himself in preseason and hasn't played since. Still, Terim persevered. He knew he had two truly world-class superstars (playmaker Rui Costa and goalkeeper Francesco Toldo), plus a cast of veteran role players (defenders Tomas Repka and Moreno Torricelli, midfielders Sandro Cois and Angelo Di Livio) and a bunch of guys who were trying to resurrect flagging careers (strikers Enrico Chiesa and Leandro, wingback Paolo Vanoli). So he did the best he could, teaching them a truly innovative tactical system whose aggression and attack-first mentality was anathema to much of Serie A. Most of all, he ordered his men to have fun on the pitch. Watch Fiorentina closely and you'll notice they all seem to be smiling. Contrast that with Inter, AC Milan or even Juventus, where there seems to be a constant, oppressive fear of screwing up. Sure, when you try to outscore your opponent (rather than outdefending him) you sometimes pay the price. Earlier this season, Fiorentina lost at home to Perugia 4-3 despite outshooting them 19 to 5. These things will happen. But what matters is that Terim has brought some genuine innovation to Serie A. Even more important, he is changing the common perception of Turkish soccer. Sure, Galatasaray's exploits in Europe this season are also doing a lot for the Turkish game, but it is Terim who is achieving success in the toughest league in the world. He is taking on the Italian coaching fraternity, a bunch of guys who act like they invented the game, and is beating them, more often than not. All this in difficult circumstances, with little initial support. Terim's achievements also underscore an oft-repeated cliche: the language of soccer is universal. He didn't speak a word of Italian, yet managed to impart his vision of the game. And the Fiorentina players, to their credit, gave him a chance. Contrast that to some of the English Neanderthals who routinely mock Chelsea for hiring an Italian, Claudio Ranieri, who does not speak the language. Soccer does not work that way. You don't need to give inspired speeches in the Queen's English (or whatever language your players speak) to be a good manager. You simply need to have a solid tactical vision and the enthusiasm and personality to match. Terim has all those qualities. Communicating them to his squad without speaking the language has not been a problem. He is proving to be the perfect ambassador for Turkish soccer, a country that, in footballing terms, is no longer up-and-coming. It's already here. Based in London, Gabriele Marcotti writes a weekly column on international soccer for CNNSI.com.
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