Forte Village is the perfect place for a vacation aimed at wellbeing and privacy, mister Massimiliano Allegri knows very well.

When the number one Italian soccer manager wishes to get away from the benches, he chooses this amazing resort in the south of Sardinia, surrounded by untouched countryside and an incredible crystalline sea.

Children during the Forte Village vacation can enjoy the Chelsea Football Academy, among them perhaps there is the next Massimiliano Allegri, the celebrity manager that every year decides to come back to the resort near Santa Margherita di Pula for his holidays.

He was born on the 11th of August 1967 and grew up in the Coteto neighborhood. Before Allegri became a coach he was a footballer and played as a midfielder.

During his career, he has worn the colors of Pisa, Pescara, Cagliari, Perugia, and Naples. The famous Italian soccer conductor, Italo Allodi described him as a footballer “gifted with so much talent and a light-hearted character”

Taught by Giovanni Galeone, Allegri is in between genius and disorder, intuitive with a touch of madness. He was nicknamed ‘the anchovy’ because of his slender figure and his ability to slide past the adversaries during a match, this name stuck with him also during his career as a trainer.

The Aglianese association marked his debut as a trainer, he transitioned from footballer to technician and continued the career in Sassuolo during the season of 2007-2008 where for the first time he was promoted to Serie B and won the Supercoppa in the Serie C1. A prosperous season that led to receiving the Panchina d’Oro of Prima Divisione, a prize given by the Italian Association of Soccer Coaches.

On the 29th of May 2008, Massimiliano makes an agreement with Cagliari and becomes coach for Serie A. Soon after, he receives the Panchina d’oro for leading the team with red and blue colors in Serie A. He continued working with the Sardinian team until the 27th June 2010, he then coached the Milan team until 2014 and was decorated with a Scudetto and won the Italian Supercoppa.

From 2014 to 2019 he worked with the Juventus team and with the Vecchia Signora and won eleven trophies: five Italian championships, from 2015 to 2019, four consecutive Italian Coppe and two Italian Supercoppe.

Apart from the Panchina d’oro di Prima Divisione, Massimiliano Allegri was elected four times Panchina d’oro and the best AIC coach, in 2015 he won the Premio Nazionale Enzo Bearzot and since 2018 he is a part of the Italian soccer Hall of Fame.

Allegri: the exclusive interview at Forte Village

The winning coach and fan of Sardinia and the Forte Village resort, Massimiliano Allegri talks about himself during this exclusive interview for Forte Village and explains why the island is his favorite destination.

You have holidayed at Forte Village for many years now. Is it a place for the soul?

Yes. For me, the days of a vacation are sacred. I want to spend them in a place where I can enjoy my privacy and relax. I keep coming back here for precisely those reasons, which are guaranteed by the efficiency and kindness of the staff, and of all the people who work there. Forte Village is a wonderful place where I can relax, recover my energy and be close to the people I love. And I love this land; its colours, aromas and people.

It’s a place you know well. You lived in Sardinia, first as a player then as the coach of Cagliari from 2008 to 2010. What character traits of the land and the people do you like?

I was a player here from 1992 to 1996 and I fitted in very well. I have always had many Sardinian friends. I have lived with them and created true bonds – they are wonderful people. In the beginning, it was a bit hard to enter their world, but when you do enter you do not let go. And then I love this land, from Cagliari to the north. The sea is amazing, but I am particularly fascinated by the inland areas: the history and the people who live there – loyal people who live simply. I like it a lot because with them I can live normally.

Does normality mean detaching yourself from the stressful world of football?

It may seem strange, but when I am at Forte Village I think about everything except football. So for about ten days, I try, with some success, to hit a tennis ball over the net. I also like bowling, which my son loves, but above all basketball. It’s a sport I like so much. All simple things, but for me, they are moments of total relaxation to be enjoyed with my family.

“A little bit of healthy madness, putting aside the arguments and thinking of ourselves as invincible,” is what you said in a recent interview in outlining your mentality in managing a group. Can you explain this?

Communication, and above all, human resources management, are important when managing people. Two things that require a little ‘healthy madness’ because they are not things you can do only through protocols and schemes that some people in the soccer world follow slavishly. It’s not really like that. It takes unpredictability, it takes intuition. We need to live with feelings to manage the integrity of a team and all those who live around it. But I do not say anything strange. I think this happens in every organization and for every person who has many people to manage.

They say you brought a light touch into the football environment. In your opinion, is it more advantageous than a more rigorous style?

I would say you need the right mix. At work, it’s important to know when it is time to work and when there is some time to be able to joke around and relax. It is very important to distinguish the two moments, but to practice them both. We must be serious but not too much, not always. Never take yourself too seriously. Our bodies, but above all our minds, sometimes need to detach.

You have a winning mentality, tactical intelligence, the ability to understand the individual and empathize with your players.  What is your secret?

I’ll tell you in just three words: manage human resources. Know the people you work with. That is the secret.

You have known many people in your long and successful career. Is it in these relationships that you find the incentive to go on and keep winning?

Yes. The secret is to continuously raise the bar and overcome any problems with constructive dialogue. But you must listen to the people who work alongside you and below you. If you only listen to yourself, you can hardly improve.

Where did your passion for football come from?

It came from when I was a child, but it wasn’t my only passion. I’ve played so many sports that I’ve enjoyed, especially Basketball thank goodness I didn’t continue! (Laughs). I loved many sports, something which I believe all children have to do. Sports are fundamental to living a good and fruitful life. Only after trying many sports that you are in a position to choose the one you would like to specialize in.

What advice would you give to a young person who wants to pursue a career in football?

They must be passionate about it. In all jobs, you need passion to succeed. Kids must have this passion if they want to succeed in any walk of life, and we must help them do it. This is very important.

If you had not chosen football, what would you have done?

I don’t know what I would have done! Up to the age of 24, I messed around a lot. In the end, I was quite fortuitous: the passion that I have inside brought me to football. I was lucky enough to be a footballer first and then, above all, a coach.

Would you like to have an unforgettable vacation in a real paradise of relaxation? Discover Forte Village Resort in Sardinia.