“He has very clear ideas about the game and the management of the locker room: he put everyone on an equal footing. The players noticed this and we want to give more of ourselves in training where work is rewarded. It’s a bit like the return of meritocracy.”details the Liégeois about a coach “in the Red Bull style.” “We play 3-5-2 with high pressure to try to recover the ball as quickly as possible. We defend high and come from behind as soon as we can. There is a lot of freedom of movement to be flexible.”
While he shines with Udinese, Christian Kabasele has not given up on the Devils: “I am ready to supervise the young people”
The precise framework contrasts with the three changes of coach last year when Andrea Sottil was replaced in October by Gabriele Cioffi who, in April, gave way to a certain Fabio Cannavaro. “Cannavaro had also tried to change this mentality, so that we were more proactive when before, we were too passive, with long balls, banking on the opponent’s mistakes. Cannavaro laid the foundations for our great start to the season.”indicates the Liégeois.
guillement
When someone like him speaks to you, all you have to do is listen.
And the last defender to win the Ballon d’Or in 2006 also shared some of his secrets: “Having such a coach is another dream come true, confirmed Kabasele. It’s not because I’m 33 that I stop progressing. When someone like him talks to you and coaches you: all you have to do is listen and try to apply his method as best you can. He often said that all defenders today jump badly, too often with two feet. For him, it was necessary to find the right balance by jumping on one foot to have more power and momentum.”
If, collectively, Udinese is transfigured, individually, Kabasele, who had to be content with two appearances since December 17, 2023, has established himself as a very strong link.
The rebirth of Christian Kabasele in Italy: “You need patience and wait for your moment without making noise”
“It was a complicated period, does not hide the defender. When the team is not necessarily doing well, we always expect to get another chance. Unfortunately, she never came. But I remain faithful to this principle of always working in the same way, whether I am tenured or not. I knew that by doing this I would be rewarded. And this start of the season proves me right. I hope I’m definitely launched.”
In a Serie A that contrasts with his English years. “Here we take more boxeshe laughs. In my first five matches, I picked up four yellows, whereas in England, I hadn’t picked up any cards for a year and a half. Physically, I had to adjust the slider. In England there is more room for improvisation. Here, everything is calculated from A to Z with a lot of movement just to move players. Tactics are not a myth. And I think it was the right time to come to this championship and see another side of football in a championship where we really trust older players, with more experience. For them, experience is really a quality.”
