Franco Chiaiese: “This year we are having fun. With Sanchez, a loyal and sincere relationship”

After an exciting season that culminated with the playoffs, Real Forio confirms Francesco “Ciccio” Chiaiese, a historic figure in island football and a point of reference off the pitch, to its technical staff. In this interview, Chiaiese talks about the excitement of experiencing new challenges as a coach with his hometown club, his bond with mister Carlo Sánchez and the importance of the human component in a team that is increasingly rich in local talent.

A new year begins on the bench of Real Forio, in your country. But before talking about the reconfirmation, I would like to ask you a different question. Do you miss playing football? “ Definitely. It's a passion I've had since I was little, so yes, I miss everything: the adrenaline of the game, the joy of a goal... they are emotions that are difficult to forget. But life goes on and you find new passions, new roles. Today I work as a coach, I got the UEFA C license and I train the boys. Things change, but the desire remains”.

And how many times do you get angry or want to get back on the pitch, maybe seeing a mistake? “ Not angry, but wanting to. Sometimes I remember episodes: a missed opportunity, a wrong goal… maybe if I had made a different choice at that moment… But the adrenaline comes back, absolutely. Every now and then that spark reignites”.

Let's get back to the present. New season, new assignment in mister Sanchez's staff. Let's start from the beautiful goal of the playoffs reached last year, one of the best in the recent history of Real Forio. " First of all, I want to thank the president, the management and technical staff, the directors, mister Sanchez and everyone else for the reconfirmation. Last year was fantastic. In my years as a footballer I had never experienced such strong emotions: organization, seriousness, application, desire. The key word? Professionalism. From everyone: president, directors, mister, staff, warehouseman, fans. The scenery they gave us was wonderful. There is only a little regret, because with a little more luck we could have fulfilled a dream. But now we start again, we roll up our sleeves and move forward".

Your relationship with mister Carlo Sanchez? “ It's not just great, it's much more. He's like a brother. I can't say "like a father" because we're almost the same age, but there's a sincere and, above all, loyal relationship between us. He's a fantastic person, there's a lot to learn from him. This year I've studied a lot thanks to him”.

This year the Ischian group is growing. Well-known names like Filippo Florio are arriving and, according to market rumors, also Beppe Mattera. How do you experience the fact of finding people on the field that you already knew as a boy? “ I have shared many beautiful moments with some of them as a footballer. I am a little older than them, but I have always appreciated them as serious and professional people. With Peppe Mattera there is also a strong friendship that has lasted for many years. I know the man, and I know how much he is worth. I met Florio later, but I already knew of his technical and human value. He is very serious, he takes care of the details, he is reliable”.

And what about the other Ischitani who were already in the squad, like Antonio Di Costanzo, Claudio Mazzella? “ This year I saw them from another perspective, that of the coach. They have always been leaders, they have created a group and shown great professionalism. No complications, on the contrary. The boys have always given their all”.

And what are the goals for the new season, which will start between the end of August and the beginning of September? “ It's not up to me to define the goals, also because we haven't all met yet. But from my point of view, we have top-level players. I think we'll have fun this year too, maybe even more. The quality is there and you can see it now”.