Zubiria discusses lockdown response, youth sector restructuring, women's team and more

With the Covid-19 pandemic forcing football - at all levels of the game - into an unprecedented response, Zubiria has had his hands full ensuring that the club's players - at women's and youth level - have not seen their progress hampered to much by global events.

Alongside all that, of course, Zubiria is continuing his work to improve and refine how the club nurtures and develops talent - we caught up with him to discuss his return to the club, the plans for the future at development level, and much more...

Ten months have passed since you returned to Roma. What assessments do you think you can make so far?

“There is still a lot of work to do and time is against us, especially considering Covid-19 which has derailed a number of processes we had put in place. We want to continue to follow the plan we are implementing, which is to become more efficient in every aspect that aids the first team, women’s football, the youth sector and the football schools.

“We are in a good position, but there is still a lot to do to finish this season and to get ready for the new one, which will start very shortly.”

Did the decision to end the Primavera season early due to the Covid-19 situation surprise you?

“It was very disappointing. We had worked hard over these last few months, with the hope and ambition for the season to restart. At this age the kids are all in the middle of their development and a stop like this can have an impact on their progress.”

What message did you give to the Primavera players?

“They were disappointed, but they understand that training is the only thing they can do right now. They can also help the first-team squad to prepare for matches – for example, they played them in a friendly at the training ground before the Serie A season restarted. So that was a chance for themselves to play, to test themselves physically and technically against quality players, after a stop for a few months.”

How did the kids cope with the lockdown?

“We were in constant contact with them, via video calls, trying to manage their training and ensuring they respected all the protocols during such a strange period. That’s the approach we took with all our kids in the youth sector. They were always working hard – we kept them active until June 18, despite the fact the season was cancelled in the end.”

How did you manage to keep tabs on them throughout this period?

“The vast majority of the group stayed in Italy and they all understood the importance of continuing to train at home. That’s something we’re proud of – because they all showed their commitment, they were always in contact with our staff.

“Going through something like this had an influence on them. They all trained hard, in that friendly against the first-teamers they were all in shape. That means they did the right work during the lockdown.”

How much does Alberto De Rossi’s experience help in guiding the players during a period like this?

“It really has a huge influence. During the lockdown he was the one overseeing the training plans, along with his coaching staff, every day. Alberto is part of our family, he’s very influential and his experience in guiding these kids is absolutely crucial.

“And that’s not just for the Primavera; with him we have also discussed various aspects of the youth sector in general, and his insight and advice has been vital for the other age groups too.”

Who will now be in charge of the various youth teams at the club?

“Alberto De Rossi will remain head coach of the Primavera. The Under-18s will now be coached by Aniello Parisi.

“Fabrizio Piccareta will continue in charge of the Under-17s, while Tugberk Tanrivermis will now coach the Under-16 side. Alessandro Rubinacci will be in charge of the Under-15s and Antonio Rizzo will take the Under-14s.

“From the AS Roma Academy comes Andrea Conti, who will oversee the Under-13s. At Under-12s there will be Valverio D’Andrea, at Under-11 we have Luca Santucci and at Under-10 there is Antonello Mattei.

“We have put our faith in all of them – we have not released any coaches, all of them will remain involved in our organisation whether that is within the youth sector, the AS Roma Academy or our football schools. We wanted to make a statement in support of all our coaches who, in a tough period like this, have worked harder than ever to support their kids from a distance.”

At a director level, how will the youth sector be structured?

“Morgan De Sanctis co-ordinates the Under-17s, Under-18s and Primavera, while Bruno Conti oversees teams from the Under-10s to the Under-16s, along with the academies. They both then report in to me.

“Our Football Schools are another cornerstone of our structure, and we, along with our scouts, are following all of them very closely. For kids as young as five to be able to grow and develop in the Roma system, with smart, prepared coaches like Mirko Manfrè helping them, is important; for next season we expect to call up 11 of those to come and train with our teams in the youth sector.

“Over the years this path has already brought more than 70 kids to the club, all of them arriving already knowing our methods and our way of playing.”

Women’s football also saw their campaign halted – were you hoping to finish the season?

“Yes, the desire to try and get going again was significant. Unfortunately we were not able to do it, because in the end we couldn’t get all the clubs to agree on the terms.

“The girls all trained a lot during the lockdown and they deserved to restart the season – and not just because they were in a good position in the league and still had the Coppa Italia semi-finals to play. We have to look forward, though: they are already back in training to begin preparations for the new season which starts on August 22.

“We can’t wait to get started again for them too; we all believe in the work Betty Bavagnoli is doing, which is why we renewed her contract.”