\n<\/p>\n
“You probably remember me with long hair,” Hernan Crespo jokes – but it is clear this is the same striker who was once feared across Europe.<\/b><\/p>\n
Now a manager, Crespo, 50, bases his coaching on scoring goals, passion and intensity – in what feels like a tribute to his playing career. It is something he hopes can take him back to the top level of European football.<\/p>\n
“I played in all the great events – three World Cups… I reached the Champions League final – an unforgettable one against Liverpool,” he says with a knowing laugh as he recalls AC Milan throwing away a 3-0 lead then losing on penalties in 2005.<\/p>\n
“I won the Europa League with Parma as a player, the Premier League with Chelsea, Serie A, the Copa Libertadores, the Olympics. As a man who loves football, I want more. I want to repeat that experience as a coach.”<\/p>\n
Crespo is not taking shortcuts. His coaching career began in the academy at Parma, where he is a club legend, while studying for his coaching qualifications at Italy’s renowned football centre in Coverciano.<\/p>\n
A faltering start at Serie B side Modena prompted a return to his roots in Argentina, where he excelled at Defensa y Justicia – a relatively small club in Buenos Aires – by leading them to success in the Copa Sudamericana.<\/p>\n
He then won titles at Sao Paulo in Brazil, Al-Duhail in Qatar and, perhaps most remarkably, guided UAE club Al Ain to Asian Champions League success in 2024.<\/p>\n
“I needed to reset in Argentina to come back to Europe stronger,” he says. “I am the same Crespo as a footballer and as a coach.<\/p>\n
“My football is about the ball – building, attacking, being aggressive… achieving results in offensive terms, but always with balance in recovering the ball, applying pressure and creating movements to win it back.<\/p>\n
“I will never forget my essence as a person. I was always a forward, so I always thought about scoring goals and being aggressive. It is a spirit I had as a kid. I try to respect that even now.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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