AC Milan History Check - Nereo Rocco, The God Of Catenaccio

Nereo Rocco, AC Milan coach, one of Italy's most successful coaches and pioneer of catenaccio. — Nereo Rocco, the god of catenaccio.

If Helenio Herrera was the missionary of catenaccio, then Nereo Rocco was its god. Born in Trieste in 1912, Rocco was a combative midfielder, good enough to play for Italy just once in 1934. He was the first Italian manager to adopt cantenaccio and use

d the system with great success with a series of provincial teams in the 1940s and 1950s. Rocco took Triestina to an historic second place in the 1947-48 championship and lead Padova to some fantastic results, where they finished third, seventh, fifth, sixth with minimal resources available between 1957 to 1960.

And finally in 1961 a big club came calling for him: Italian giants AC Milan. At the time Milanai??i??s sporting director was Giuseppe ai???Gipoai??i?? Viani, named as a pioneer in 1940. Viani lead Milan to a title but he then suffered a serious heart attack and was forced to take a back seat. Later on in 1961 he decided to put his trust in Nereo Rocco. The gamble paid off. Rocco won the championship in his first season and a European cup in his second season. Rocco moved to Torino after that season, but he kept his promise which he made to club president, and he returned to Milan again in 1967 to win the championship and European Cup again, and also the Intercontinental Cup and Cup Winners’ Cup. That was the time catenaccio and Rocco conquered the world.

Profile of a pioneer

Rocco was an extraordinary personality. He was a a born comedian, a brilliant man-motivator, and an astute reader of the game. Stories and myths abound concerning things Rocco was reported to have said or done. Many of these stories are recounted in the best and funniest book about Roccoai??i??s life.

Trieste was Roccoai??i??s hometown and his favourite stamping ground, and he often use to return there whenever he could. He was also elected as a Democrat councillor in the city in 1948. He liked a drink, often in the company of Gianni Brera in Milan. One of the causes of his death was cirrhosis of the liver. It was said that in each city where he managed a local club, he used to set up an unofficial officer in a central restaurant where he could hold court and surround himself with friends and players.

Although Rocco was associated with catenaccio, he played attacking football when given a chance and always used to fill his teams with highly technical players. At Milan, Rocco always played an out-and-out striker, Jose Altafini, and an attacking midfielder , Gianni Rivera. Milan scored 83 goals in the 1961-62 season inspired by Rivera, which was a devastating display of attacking football.

All of his players were asked to run, press and track back, although Rocco had some run-ins who refused to do so ai??i?? Alfatini and Jimmy Greaves for example (whom he sold after 10 games). Rocco, when he had these two in his team, told the press that “those two need to understand that during a football game you get kicked, and not just well paid.” Only Rivera, whom Rocco nurtured and to whom he became a friend and talisman, was exempt from this rule. Rocco always picked a tackling midfielder alongside Rivera whose job was purely and simple to give the golden boy the ball.

Yet there is no doubt that Roccoai??i??s teams often set out to blunt the opposition. Roccoai??i??s famous saying with which he advised his players: kick everything that moves; if it is the ball, all the better. On one occasion he also told one of his defenders to mark his opponent midfielder from the dressing room to the toilet.

Milan’s mad manager

Bullying was one way Rocco created a strong group of players. He liked to set up young victims for his jokes and anger, and rarely criticized the older ones. He also used to keep an eye on the personal life of his players, following them in his car and checking up on their relationships. Gigi Meroni had to pretend that his girlfriend was his sister when Rocco was his manager in Torino.

During games, Rocco was known for becoming highly agitated. He was sent off on numerous occasions and had a particularly volatile relationship with referee Concetto Lo Bello. He would scream at his players throughout the game, a habit which was later picked up by Giovanni Trapattoni. Rocco hated the ball being lost in the midfield, and as his eyesight went, he would ask his assistant who had been the culprit.

Rocco was apt to go crazy during training or in the dressing room. On one occasion he took out his anger on a bag which he thought contained shirts, but it turned out to be a tool kit bag. None of the players laughed as they were terrified of Roccoai??i??s reactions. He used to take naps in the training room, and the players were under strict instructions never to wake him.

Another story related to a Milan game. Milan needed a draw in order to qualify for a bonus of million lire each. Rocco spent the whole match shouting at midfielder Morini to get back to the defence. During the second half, he further had a go at Morini: “Get back or weai??i??ll lose a million.”

National disappointment and career’s end

Rocco was never called to manage the national team, beyond the double act with Gipo Viani for the 1960 Olympics. The exciting team prepared for that tournament, with Rivera, Burgnich and Trappatoni, showed that Rocco would probably have been succeeded if he had been given a chance to manage Italy. The Olympic was extremely unlucky to lose out on the final, and a gold medal, to Yugoslavia following a 1-1 draw in the semi-finals.

In the end, Roccoai??i??s career went into slow decline. Milan were unlucky to come second three times in a row in the early 70s, but the lack of trophies lead to another divorce and Rocco moved to Fiorentina, where he had little success. Soon after his retirement, he died at the age of 66 in 1979.

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By guest authorAi??Ashish Gohil

Tags: AC Milan Nereo Rocco

AC Milan History Check – Nereo Rocco, The God Of Catenaccio

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