THE TWEED FLAT cap, jet-black suit and accompanying shirt and tie was a surprising combination.
But Filippo Giovagnoli made it work. Of course he did. He still managed to make it look effortless with typical Italian class.
Yet, tomorrow night he knows Dundalk will have to ‘work for fun’ if they are to pull off any kind of Europa League shock away to Arsenal.
“The pinstripe punk!” Giovagnoli beamed, as he made himself feel right at home in the media room at the Emirates Stadium before taking charge of his side’s final training session.
When it was put to him that the easiest way to explain the contrasting footballing worlds in which these two clubs inhabit could be characterised best by the fact Arsenal pay Mesu Ozil £350,000 per week and he is no longer a registered member of Mikael Arteta’s squad, the Dundalk head coach bought himself some time with a lingering laugh.
And then he deadpanned.
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“Yes. But what was the question? It’s quite obvious. This is like a heavyweight boxer against a super lightweight. We have to try and make them uncomfortable a little bit. Everything about this game is obvious. The difference in quality is obvious so let’s make the passion something bigger on our side.”
Before Dundalk reached the group stages, and with Giovagnoli’s tenure only in its infancy, a mutual friend arranged for a phone call with Liam Brady to try and provide some inspiration.
Growing up a Juventus-mad supporter, Giovagnoli described Brady as “my idol”, so the chance to pick his brains was to be cherished.
“A really nice person. We just talked about football. We didn’t know the draw then and that we would be playing Arsenal. Honestly, he told me he doesn’t know much about Irish football. He was honest. Then he said let’s talk later if you want some advice on English football. That was honestly what he told me.
“I am going to try call him tonight again and I would love to meet him as soon as possible.”
Giovagnoli reflects on his journey to this point, one which has led to him becoming only the third manager to take a League of Ireland club into the group stages of a European competition, when he had never taken charge of a senior club before, with pride but also an understanding of the pressure that comes with operating at this level.
“One of the best learning experiences of my life. I like to call this adventure a learning experience for sure. But then, why you learn becomes normality and you need to perform. It’s a learning experience but it becomes your territory when you have to perform.”
And that is what he wants from his Dundalk players.
“I would love to see them play relaxed, composed, don’t be nervous and try to perform at their best. To show their quality and our idea of soccer. I want them for sure to have fun. This is the best part.”
That, surely, will only be the case if he sets up a team capable of frustrating Arsenal for as long as possible.
“Not true. You can have fun performing, you can have fun challenging the opponent. It’s not just about the result. It’s about applying what we do in practice and what we try to prepare for the game. This is how you have fun, how you enjoy the game. It’s not only the end result. Not only this at all.
“They will need to face the opponent, be brave and put in our style. We come here to play and not just to defend and stay behind the ball. Maybe they score against us and we arrive at the end of the game suffering.
“No, not this. I would love to see the players take this chance, this opportunity. Take responsibility on the field. This is what I would love to see.”
