Juventus legend Paolo Montero believes Zinedine Zidane would be the ideal choice for the Juventus bench, calling his former teammate ‘undervalued’.

The Uruguayan defender gave a lengthy interview to SpazioJ starting with his time as coach of Serie C side Sambenedettese.

“I have not received any offers, my future is still to be decided,” the former centre-back began.

“The contract will expire in June but it all depends on what Fedeli will want to do (the President of the Sambenedettese, ed.) He has long said that he wants to sell the club to leave the world of football. I don’t read the newspapers, I only check the news to see if Serie C will start again and I think it will end here.”

What are the secrets of coaching a defender?

“I like proactive teams and players, like Bonucci and Chiellini, our defenders must not be afraid of knowing how to face the opponent in one on one.

“I really like dealing with the players, when they make mistakes I always want to talk to them as the coaches I have had in the past have taught.

“With Miceli I made a technical choice, it was not a punishment. I gave him my explanation and I told him how and where he can improve, he accepted it without problems.”

Which coach are you inspired by?

“Certainly Marcello Lippi because he was the coach I had for the longest time, but also Carlo Ancelotti, Francesco Guidolin, Emiliano Mondonico and Cesare Prandelli. They were all important to me, wherever they went they did very well: for example Prandelli in Florence, as well as Guidolin in Udine, Mondonico made history in Turin.

“I stole everything from everyone, as I said before, the important thing for me is to confront the players to form a group. I am undertaking a Master course for coaches at Coverciano where Massimiliano Allegri also spoke with us, and we are on the same wavelength: it is difficult to do simple things. Lippi and Ancelotti are great coaches, but I also consider Allegri to be one of them.”

How did you improve after joining Juventus?

“Being in contact with great champions, you grow up. To train continuously with them you slowly remove the gaps you have.

“Juventus taught me how to work and improve, it changed my life. Beyond the great champions, there were huge men in that locker room and that’s why they won everything.”

What were the differences between Juventus and Atalanta?

“Lippi had always wanted me at Juventus, I had some great years at Atalanta and I arrived after two years.

“Even Moggi and Giraudo have always confided to me this admiration that the coach had for me. In those years I had a reputation for the many red cards I received, when I arrived in Turin they always explained to me that I was more mature.

“At Atalanta I played in relegation battles, at Juventus, to win everything: this is the difference. With Juventus I had a more offensive spirit, I learned to play in the middle of the field and face the opponent in one on one “.

Thoughts on Zinedine Zidane?

“A great man, there is no teammate with whom he played who will speak ill of him: he is very humble, very simple.

“Despite his popularity, he travels from Madrid with his family and goes out with his childhood friends from Marseille. I would like to see him on the Juventus bench one day.

“Everyone is talking about Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Jose Mourinho but Zidane has won three consecutive Champions League finals, so I think he is undervalued.”

What about Del Piero?

“Another exceptional, humble person, he is another champion with whom I was fortunate to play alongside.”

Tell us about that infamous day on 5th May 2002

“When we left the hotel to go to the field, we had a little hope of winning the Scudetto. I remember the religious silence that was in the bus, but once we entered the locker room we all pysched each other up. How do you say that? Fortune favours the bold.

“I am always convinced that in life what is unfairly taken away from you will come back sooner or later: in Perugia (In 2000/01) we were waiting 74 minutes in the locker room for Collina’s decision when the regulation says you must wait a maximum of 45 with the suspension of the game.

“On that May 5, 2002, fate closed a circle that had opened two years earlier.”