Stramaccioni: Hard work is paying off

Inter coach Andrea Stramaccioni believes he is living proof that dreams can become reality despite the biggest of setbacks.

The Italian’s playing career was cut short by a serious knee injury before he had the opportunity to play professional first team football at Bologna and Stramaccioni says he had to work his way up from the bottom as a coach.

“After a bad injury when I was at Bologna, I had a crisis and I had to talk to my agent about what I could do,” the 36-year-old told Corriere della Sera.

“I started from scratch, and I’m the proof that dreams can become reality. If I can get to the top, anyone can do it.”

After learning his craft in youth coaching Stramaccioni has plenty of experience in dealing with younger players, but says he cannot stress enough how big the difference is between youth and first team football.

“I always say that the youth and the first team are two completely different worlds,” he said.

“We need a bridge between the youth and the first team and unless you are like (Mario) Balotelli or (Davide) Santon, the jump is complicated. A loan to Serie B to get first team football is often the only solution.”