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대한민국 - Soon
In order to better understand Berizzo as a coach, it is important to know his time as a player. In this respect, Juan Velasco has much to tell, given that his time at Celta coincided with the arrival of the Argentine at Balaídos in January of 2000, right up until the Dos Hermanas-born player left for Atlético Madrid in the summer of 2004: "He arrived during a winter transfer window to a totally different footballing landscape to that which he had experienced in South America and France, but he earned his place in the first team from the very first match, and was an important player and defensive stalwart due to what he would instil in players".
Berizzo played as a centre-back, usually on the left side, and Velasco as a right-back, both in the celestes' rearguard: "we had a partnership in central defence, with Fernando Cáceres and el Toto, in which for both players pace wasn't a strong point, but the two of them were extremely intelligent. Cáceres was more aggressive, and Berizzo for the most part lacked this aggression, but made up for it with his communicative side, through positioning and through his superb way of starting the game with his left foot, ideal for what the coach, Víctor Fernández, demanded at the time".
"Berizzo wasn't aggressive, but made up for it with his communicative side and his positioning"
Asked whether at the time it was possible to see the traits of a future coach in Berizzo, Velasco was clear: "Throughout your career you see teammates who fit the profile of being a coach, even though they themselves haven't figured it out. He was very communicative on the pitch, and I saw this quality again when I was with Pep Guardiola in the national team. Berizzo was a player who, during a game, would not stop gesturing, correcting players... And those types of characters tend, at one point, to lead a group and to want to be a manager".
It's odd that, despite being a centre-back, his gambit has always been possession and attacking: "This is very simple - he's constantly learning. He had something very positive, which is that he loved football, contact with the ball... Hence you assumed that as a coach he was going to love having the leading role and that tendency to control the match. Later, he also had his first experience with Bielsa, from whom he acquired knowledge which has helped him, above all with the intensity of the game, which has greatly complimented him".
"He has brought what he has learned from Bielsa to his own pitch, becoming far more organised"
Mind you, Velasco believes that what Berizzo learnt from Bielsa has helped him to find his own way: "Bielsa's influence has served him well, however he brings what he has learned to his own pitch, because for me, in terms of work off the ball, he is far more organised than Bielsa or even Sampaoli himself... That is the difference that I find and for that, for his game plan, I really like his profile for Sevilla. I'm sure that he still has growing to do, and that will be helped by the level of team he is working with. This year, the demands set out by Sevilla will enable him to develop and I am sure that he can succeed".