There are a lot of talented football coaches who help bring medals home, yet many of them are far away from the limelight and from being recognised for their endless amount of hard work and dedication to train and mentor the players.
Today, we will follow the journey of a player turned coach, Luca Diddi, whose strong player instincts helped him guide his team better and always be prompt.
Luca was born in the beautiful city of Florence with sports playing a prominent role in his early days. As he grew up, he took up his passion for football and turned it into a full-time career - as a football player. He started playing for the Italian association football club; Unione Sportiva Pistoiese football club. The club was established in 1921 and since then has come victorious in various championships.
Diddi’s journey as a player was quite unique, since he always had a special corner for football, he continued to give his best, until he met with a severe injury. But, that didn’t stop him from doing what he absolutely loved. After the recovery, he carved a new pathway for himself, he set sail for his journey as a coach to the Carpi football club, another prestigious club of Italy established in 1909 has won a handful of titles and has always marked their presence in notable championships.
Luca’s days as a player often helped him in his days of coaching the team, and since he had been in their shoes as well, there was a sense of openness and reliability from the player’s side.
He understood the possible challenges the club could face in knockout matches, and always was a step ahead in those situations. He didn’t just preparing the players for a tough match, but also continuously made efforts in making them head strong, since that’s another ‘must’ in professional players.
Diddi’s determination and enthusiasm has never failed to charm a single person. His passion for football from early days, made him a holistic coach. A coach everyone dreams to have. Luca’s relationship with his players went beyond field, they could root at him for numerous shortcomings, starting from game tips to sports networking, they really did see him as their mentor.
When asked about his transformational journey and the complementary challenges, Diddi politely said ‘Loving the sport is the key’. If you love what you do, there’s nothing that can stop you or hold you back from achieving what you truly desire to. His passion for the game and his how brilliantly he fit the two roles exclaims his love for football.
Now, Luca has taken up a new road to entrepreneurship as a digital sports entrepreneur. His company Calciatori Ignoranti aims to bridge the gap for the sports players, and assist them in meeting new heights. Looking back at his journey, one can surely get motivated to invest their all in that one thing they are truly passionate about just like Luca Diddi.