Esteban Cambiasso, Leicester City
Kasper Schmeichel has revealed how Esteban Cambiasso “was a manager already” during his one-season spell at Leicester City. The Argentinian cult hero helped City secure an unfathomable escape from Premier League relegation during his sole campaign at the King Power Stadium, with his influential performances earning him the player of the season award. The Dane picked Cambiasso as his ‘Parched’, which was the nickname given by Crouch and his Stoke team-mates gave to Charlie Adam, who rather than join the players for a drinks break after an intense training session, would cosy up to the manager and coaching staff and talk tactics.
Kasper Schmeichel said “He was amazing. Honestly, I loved him, he was brilliant. What a player, and what a guy. He was basically a manager already. Even on the pitch, he was changing tactics and things like that, he was class. The way he was, the way he behaved, the way he looked after himself, you could tell there was a reason he’d been 10 years at such a big club [Inter Milan]. Like I say, I really enjoyed playing with him, but he was the first name that came to my mind when asked about ‘Parched.’”
Following his brief stint at Olympiacos after leaving City, Cambiasso retired, immediately turning his attention to coaching. He is currently studying for his Uefa licence, but has had one experience in the dugout already, acting as Colombia’s assistant manager during the 2018 World Cup.
Esteban Cambiasso said “I’ve always had a passion for coaching, even on the pitch. I’ve never seen football only as the task I was given, I was trying to understand everyone’s position. Everything has a relationship and I’ve always wanted to know why. Coaching is something I like and I have in mind. As soon as I stopped playing, I worked with Colombia and for me it was a spectacular experience, with a beautiful space to work and a group of players perfect for my first experience in this sense. Let’s say I’m in the studying period.”
Cambiasso, signed on a free transfer from Inter Milan, where he had won the Champions League, had a role to play off the pitch too, with the midfielder keen to have his say on tactics. Jamie Vardy has previously said that he and Cambiasso did not see eye-to-eye because he felt that the Argentinian was undermining City captain Wes Morgan and that the formation was set up to best serve him. On the latest edition of That Peter Crouch Podcast, City number one Schmeichel backed up Vardy’s thoughts, but from a more positive perspective.
