11 Questions with Riccardo Marchioli

The pursuit of wisdom in any walk of life quickly reveals that what you think you know is not nearly enough to get you to where you want to go. As I'm starting out in my football scouting journey I challenged myself to reach out to those already working in various roles in football to answer a short list of questions. My goal wasn't to get answers but relevant perspectives on the game within the game.

Here is Riccardo Marchioli:

How did your first opportunity in football come about?

I've played and watched since a very young age but I was a player-coach at just 14 years of age when I returned to my local club. I officially started coaching juniors at the age of 15 and sought as much information as I could to provide the best possible environment that I was capable of creating for this group of local young players. That's over 14 years (or around half my life) of coaching, learning and analyzing from grassroots to International level. I'm extremely fortunate to work in football full time now but that took over 10 years of juggling roles, voluntary work, blood, sweat and tears - and I still do voluntary work sometimes!

What attracted you to media/data/scouting? What’s more intriguing now names or numbers?

I used to love reading tactical analysis and watching tv pundits break down matches when I was younger and then websites like Spielverlagerung and Leopold Method (which I was lucky to be a part of in Australia) stoked the fire further. I'm curious about how people break down the game into smaller elements and how teams set up strategically, especially those working at the highest levels of the game. I love discovering things that are supposed to be hidden, the information that can help a team gain a small strategic edge. Names create and discover the numbers, so names definitely intrigue me more. It's important to learn not only from players and coaches but also those deciphering what those players and coaches are doing. There are some incredibly brilliant people working in football who will use numbers and data to advance the game dramatically in the coming years.

What type of player fascinates you? What caught your eye?

Historically, growing up I fell in love with players who seemed to have control of space and time. Redondo, Riquelme, Pirlo, Iniesta. Watching these players made the sport less of an athletic endeavour and more of an art form. Now I'm fascinated by the search for "universal" players. I believe the game will continue to get more fluid and players that are world class in multiple areas - especially perception, decision and execution and comfortable in any role and space on the pitch will be the players of the future. Guys like Kimmich, De Jong, Sabitzer are probably my favourites at the moment.

What is the biggest misconception you’ve found in this space?

That data is useless information for nerds and has no place on the football pitch. Whether traditionalists like it or not, data and tracking is quickly getting more relevant, specific and important. We are no longer confined to rudimentary statistics that don't have much bearing on coaching practice or results. There are some incredibly intelligent people creating frameworks based on coach and club playing styles and other core ideas that allow the information to be flexible and useful. This space is advancing daily and those who want to work at the highest levels of the game in the future need to have an understanding of what's going on and how technology will play a part. The future coach must be able to understand the language of data analysts and vice versa.

If you could start over what skill would you build on first?

Simple communication. Learn and understand the complexity - because football is a complex sport - but filter that when speaking with others and explaining things to them.

Another one is humility. I definitely jumped the gun at times as I was developing and believed I knew far more than what I actually did and wasn't quiet about it either. It's important to think and behave humbly even if you have access to different knowledge or experience. 

What is more important domain knowledge or curiosity?

Both. Without good knowledge, curiosity cannot be focused correctly. It's important to continue building on your foundations of knowledge with a burning curiosity. Once that fire goes out and you start to become stagnant, the rust starts to settle on you. Curiosity can lead you to huge amounts of information if you let it and that's where it's important to decide which information is worth absorbing and which is worth discarding or ignoring. This is only possible with a deep understanding of your domain, built up over years of practice.

What is your favorite sports moment? Why?

Overseas, it's a 3-way tie between Andrea Bocelli singing Nessun Dorma in front of the Leicester fans when they miraculously won the title, the final moments of extra time in the 2006 World Cup semi final when Italy scored twice to advance to the final and Sergio Aguero's dramatic winner in 2012 for Manchester City. I'm not even a supporter and I was jumping up and down in my lounge room - it still gives me goosebumps. Watch the stands the next time you watch that clip! Mayhem!

Domestically, another 3-way tie. I can't go past John Aloisi's penalty against Uruguay in 2005. Next would be James Troisi's extra time winner in the Asian Cup final in 2015 - I think the whole country shook at that moment! Lastly, James Robinson's late winner for Melbourne Victory in the 2007 A-League semi final. A looping header which hung in the air forever before landing in the back of the net. All I remember is beer, chips and people flying over my shoulders and around me!

What coach or player would you give a lifetime contract to? Why?

Hard question to answer without knowing or working with someone personally. Any person whose enthusiasm and curiosity has sustained the most brutal tests and continues to burn for what they love doing. Those who have firm foundations and beliefs but always look for ways to improve themselves and gain another edge.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to get into this space?

Be prepared to do it for free. I won't use the word 'work' because it should be enjoyable. If it feels like a grind then it'll be unsustainable. Watch as many games as possible, live is better. Read books like Inverting the Pyramid and Football Hackers, websites like Spielverlagerung. Most importantly, talk to those working at the highest levels of the game - sometimes it can seem like what we read online is the way of the world but social media and internet knowledge is only a tiny fraction of what's out there.

Who is your favorite athlete? Why?

Anybody who performs and wins at the very highest level consistently. Those with a burning enthusiasm and love for what they are doing, whose achievements act as fuel for those around them. The ones who can carry others on their shoulders without affecting their own performance. 

What is your favorite quote or saying?

Freedom within structure. That is the name of the vision & philosophy document which I keep updated and acts as a base for my coaching practice. That statement is a fundamental belief in my life. Too much freedom without structure can lead to greed, laziness and loss of focus. A strong framework or structure provides an anchor for healthy activity and growth to take place within a set of fair rules and guidelines. Football is a microcosm of life and I believe that this applies as much to football strategy and tactics as it does to political systems and infrastructure. Legendary coach Phil Jackson once said: "The road to freedom is a beautiful system"