Pantaleo Corvino, the general director of Lecce and a veteran football executive, recently shared his insights on emerging talents and the state of modern football in an interview with Corriere dello Sport. The seasoned scout, known for his keen eye for talent, discussed some of his most notable discoveries and shared his thoughts on current footballing trends.
Speaking about Patrick Dorgu, a rising star at Lecce, Corvino was effusive in his praise: “He has the makings of a champion. He lacks nothing.” This high praise comes amidst reported interest from top clubs like Inter, Juventus, and even Antonio Conte.
Corvino also reminisced about his discovery of Dusan Vlahovic, now a star striker for Juventus. “I went to watch Partizan for Milenkovic, but when they brought on this young lad, I fell in love. He had physicality, dexterity, an unusual quality for a striker of his size. And a sense for goal. Who knows how to score, always scores,” Corvino explained. He recalled acting quickly to secure Vlahovic’s signature, despite facing criticism in Florence for signing an unproven talent.
The director shared an anecdote about Vlahovic’s debut with the Fiorentina Primavera team: “I brought him to the Primavera dressing room before the final against Torino. I told him, ‘I’m going to give you your debut with the boys, you go in and score.’ We won two-nil, he scored a brace. Or maybe he only scored one, anyway, we lifted the cup.”
Discussing managers, Corvino named Sinisa Mihajlovic as the coach who best embodied his footballing philosophy. “He arrived after Prandelli and was thus condemned to a complicated comparison. He did fantastically in the second half of the season, to the point that Inter pursued him insistently,” Corvino recalled.
On current coaches, Corvino praised Thiago Motta as innovative: “He has ideas, doesn’t follow codes in interpreting the two phases of the game, and doesn’t look anyone in the face. Whether at Juventus, Spezia, or Bologna.”
Corvino also highlighted Atalanta under Gasperini as the strongest team of the moment in Italy. “His is a creative integralism. He constantly makes corrections to a well-defined, consolidated playing system, aiming for perfection. Of that system, because football doesn’t contemplate perfection, thank God,” he explained.
When asked about his ideal player in modern football, Corvino didn’t hesitate: “It remains Barella. Who knows how to be both a laborer and an engineer.”
