Ex Juventus Next Gen Coach Denies Inter Milan U23 Coach Links: ‘I Haven’t Been Contacted’ | OneFootball

Former Juventus Next Gen coach Lamberto Zauli denies that he’s been contacted by Inter Milan for their new Under-23 team.

Zauli spoke to Italian outlet Il GIornale di Vicenza, via FCInterNews. He put the brakes on rumours that he could head up the Nerazzurri’s newly-formed youth team next season.

Next season, Inter Milan will have an Under-23 team for the first team.

This will constitute an intermediate step between the Nerazzurri’s Under-19 or Primavera side and the first team.

Juventus and AC Milan have already formed such teams, with their Next Gen and Futuro sides respectively.

And the Bianconeri and the Rossoneri have already seen the benefits. The Bianconeri in particular have used their Under-23 team as a pathway for players into the senior squad.

Turkish international Kenan Yildiz is a shining example of the benefits of that approach.

Therefore, it is perhaps not surprising to see that Inter Milan are aiming to emulate the success of their Derby d’Italia rivals on that front.

Ex Juventus Next Gen Coach Zauli: “I Haven’t Been Contacted By Inter Milan”

Coach Lamberto Zauli was a key figure in the early Juventus Next Gen successes.

This means it is perhaps not surprising that there are rumours of Inter Milan trying to appoint Zauli as the first head coach of their own newly-formed Under-23 team.

LA SPEZIA, ITALY – MARCH 13: Lamberto Zauli manager of Empoli FC U19 gestures during the Viareggio Cup 2019 match between Empoli FC U19 and Ascoli Picchio U19 on March 13, 2019 in La Spezia, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)

However, the 53-year-old himself has put the brakes on these rumours.

Therefore, Zauli said that “no one has contacted me.”

“Maybe people are talking about me because I’m one of the few coaches to have worked at Under-23 level, with Juventus,” he speculated.

“But I think the name of [former Inter Primavera coach Stefano] Vecchi would be more likely,” he added.

“He’s well-known and has the respect of Inter.”

“Coaching at that level is hard, because you have to give opportunities to younger players,” Zauli said.