About this video

• Video Title: Torino, prestiti e poca identità: è un modello sostenibile?
• Channel: Falso Nueve
• Speakers: Not specified in the transcript.
• Duration: 00:24:14

Overview

This video discusses Torino's transfer market strategy, focusing on the club's consistent use of loans with options or obligations to buy. The speaker analyzes whether this model is sustainable and questions its effectiveness in building a strong, cohesive team with a clear identity, contrasting it with the club's financial goals.

Key takeaways

• Predominance of Loans: Torino frequently utilizes loan deals with purchase options or obligations, suggesting a financial strategy to manage immediate spending rather than outright purchases.
• Lack of Sustainable Identity: The repeated use of loan-to-buy deals, often without subsequent permanent acquisitions of key players, hinders the creation of a stable core ("zoccolo duro") and a consistent team identity.
• Financial vs. Sporting Goals: The speaker argues that the club's transfer policy prioritizes financial flexibility over long-term sporting ambition, leading to a constantly changing squad that struggles to build chemistry.
• Critique of Transfer Decisions: The video details specific transfer examples, highlighting instances where players who performed well were not bought permanently, or players who did not fit the team's needs were acquired, often at a significant cost.
• Absence of Leadership: The high turnover of players and the lack of established core players contribute to a leadership vacuum within the team, evident in the frequent changes of captains.

Based on the transcript, here are examples of players whose loan deals were not converted into permanent transfers, sometimes despite good performance:

• Marco Pjaca: Arrived on loan with an option to buy for 7 million euros. He had a good initial impact but was hindered by injuries, playing less than expected. Ultimately, Torino did not exercise the purchase option, citing his physical problems.
• Dennis Praet: Came on loan with a right to buy for 15 million euros. He was considered one of the cornerstones of that team. Torino did not redeem him.
• Josip Brekalo: Acquired on loan with a right to buy from Dinamo Zagreb for around 11-12 million euros. The club did not redeem him. There's a narrative that the agents pushed for the transfer, but Torino deemed the price too high, despite a strong performance, including a crucial goal.
• Rolando Mandragora: Was supposed to be acquired permanently from Udinese but was let go for free and later joined Fiorentina.
• Nikola Vlašić: Initially arrived on loan with a right to buy for about 13 million euros. He was a key player for Juric. While he wasn't immediately bought permanently, the club negotiated for months to get him for a slightly lower price (10 + 2 million bonus) closer to the start of the new season, which the speaker views as a long negotiation for a relatively small gain.
• Sasa Lukic: The video mentions him as a player that the club, despite financial limitations, could have potentially sold for more. He was not redeemed for a significant amount and was later sold for a much lower fee.

The main critique of Torino's transfer market strategy in the video is that the club prioritizes financial convenience and short-term economic advantages over building a sustainable, competitive team with a strong identity. The heavy reliance on loans with purchase options/obligations, rather than strategic permanent signings, leads to a lack of continuity, a fragmented squad, and ultimately, a failure to elevate the team's level. This approach is seen as a "raffazzonata" (haphazardly put together) team, particularly in the defense, rather than a well-planned project.

The video describes a significant contrast between Torino's financial objectives and its sporting aspirations, suggesting the former consistently overshadows the latter.

The club's primary financial objective, as interpreted from its transfer dealings, is to minimize immediate financial commitment. This is achieved through the widespread use of loan deals, often with purchase options or conditional obligations. This strategy allows them to fill squad spots and address immediate needs without tying up large sums of capital upfront. The speaker notes that the club's "only need" is to "commit as little as possible economically."

On the other hand, the sporting aspirations of building a competitive team with a stable identity and a strong core ("zoccolo duro") are seen as largely unmet. Players who perform well and could form the basis of a stronger squad are frequently not bought outright, even when options exist. The speaker points out that even when money is spent on permanent transfers (like for Samuele Ricci or Duvan Zapata), the overall approach leads to a team that struggles to improve its standing significantly and is often left with players who don't fit the coach's system or have inflated salaries. The repeated failure to retain key players or build consistent partnerships is a direct consequence of this financial-first approach, hindering any real sporting progress.

The video raises several specific issues regarding the lack of a "zoccolo duro" (core group of players) at Torino:

• High Player Turnover: The constant influx and departure of players, particularly through loan deals, prevents any established core from forming over multiple seasons. This is evident in the analysis of different seasons where many players arrive and leave without being permanently integrated.
• Lack of Long-Term Vision: The club's strategy, driven by financial considerations, doesn't seem to focus on retaining key players who could form the backbone of the team for years. Instead, players are brought in for specific needs or financial arrangements, and then often let go.
• Difficulty in Building Chemistry and Identity: A stable group of players is crucial for developing team chemistry, understanding, and a distinct playing style or identity. The lack of a consistent core means this development is severely hampered.
• Absence of Leaders: The video explicitly links the lack of a "zoccolo duro" to a lack of leadership on the field. The high number of captains in a short period is cited as evidence that no single player has emerged as a consistent leader or a figurehead for the team.
• Inability to Rely on Experienced Players: When examining the current squad, the speaker finds very few players who have been at the club long enough or consistently enough to be considered part of a "zoccolo duro." Many are either recent arrivals, players who have had limited roles, or those whose long-term presence is uncertain.
• Players Not Fitting the System: Even when players are acquired, they may not align with the coach's tactical vision or the team's needs, further contributing to a lack of cohesion and preventing them from becoming part of a stable core.