Ex Inter managing assistant and former Barcelona player Sylvinho Mendes Campos Júnior talks about everything- from his tenure at the club, to working with Roberto Mancini and making Mauro Icardi captain, to wanting to ‘coach an Italian side.’
He was part of Mancini’s Inter staff in 2014-15 and very briefly in 2016.
“I met him at Manchester City and we worked together there for five months, but he saw in me that passion for football. I had turned down his first offer to join him, as my mind wasn’t in the right place after 15 years of playing football in Europe, but I did join him at Inter three years later,” Sylvinho told Sky Sport Italia. “That was a very good decision and I had a wonderful experience. Mancini transmits so much and has a great deal of experience, so it’s priceless learning from him every day.”
He talks about their different styles of coaching:
“We have different personalities. Mancini is more aggressive, knows how to fire up the players, he’s a real winner. Every now and then, he needs to calm down a bit. I am more relaxed in that sense, act more as a mediator.
“Italian football has changed over the years, as it’s still very tactical with strong coaches, but they do play the ball a lot more now, for instance, Mancini’s Italy squad. We coaches should all learn from them, how to defend well, but also keep possession.”
He went on to a take a job with Brazil after Inter, and is currently the Olympique Lyonnais coach.
He said about his future, “I would like to coach an Italian club.”
