Matarazzo reveals how Maradona's Napoli sparked his football obsession
Real Sociedad's American-Italian coach opens up about his childhood fascination with Diego Maradona's Napoli team that shaped his footballing journey.
From watching Maradona on a tiny telly to coaching in La Liga – Real Sociedad’s gaffer reveals the unlikely path that brought him to San Sebastián.
Napoli dreams in American reality
Pellegrino Matarazzo, Real Sociedad’s American-Italian head coach, has revealed how Diego Maradona’s legendary Napoli side ignited his passion for football while growing up in the United States – a country where the beautiful game was barely acknowledged as a proper sport back then.
“I’m from the era when Maradona played for Napoli,” Matarazzo explained, painting a picture of a young lad glued to his parents’ small bedroom television, absorbing every flick and trick from the Argentine maestro during Napoli’s golden era of the late 1980s.
While American kids around him were dreaming of slam dunks and home runs, Matarazzo’s Italian roots pulled him toward football, creating a connection that would define his life’s trajectory despite living in a nation largely indifferent to the sport.
From player to touchline
Matarazzo’s playing aspirations didn’t quite pan out as he’d hoped. His early attempts to break into Italian football were hampered by what he describes as working with the wrong agents – promises made but trials that never materialized.
His playing journey took an unexpected detour when a German acquaintance – now a close friend – spotted him playing and offered him an opportunity in Germany. Matarazzo jumped at the chance, packing his bags and heading to Europe.
“I started playing in the fourth division at 23, which was quite old,” he admits. What was supposed to be a brief European adventure turned into a 25-year stay in Germany, where his coaching career eventually flourished before his move to San Sebastián.
The American in La Liga
Matarazzo represents a rare breed in La Liga – an American-born head coach with Italian heritage who developed his coaching philosophy in Germany. His appointment at Real Sociedad marks another chapter in what has been an unconventional football journey.
While he couldn’t fulfill his childhood dream of becoming an elite player like his idol Maradona, Matarazzo has certainly achieved his goal of becoming a top-level coach. From watching Napoli’s number 10 on a small television in America to leading Real Sociedad in La Liga – it’s been quite the journey for the ‘Txuri-urdin’ manager.