Adi Hütter-Thiago Scuro, AS Monaco’s new winning duo?
Adi Hütter and Thiago Scuro are already accomplices at the press conference (Photo © AS Monaco)
The new coach and Director of Football of the Principality’s club were presented to the press on Thursday at the La Turbie Performance Center. The start of a new era for AS Monaco.
A promising partnership in the making
Adi Hütter and Thiago Scuro already have one thing in common: their desire to win over their audience— and AS Monaco fans. Hütter let out a “Daghe Munegu” after his appearance before the press.
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Scuro introduced himself in a few words, in French tinged with Brazilian. “I’m very happy to be here and to lead such an ambitious project as AS Monaco.”
In their first public appearance together in the colours of AS Monaco, the club’s two new strongmen seemed to get on famously, repeating on several occasions that they had already “exchanged a lot” with each other.
When asked about certain topics such as the transfer market, Hütter, the new AS Monaco coach, was quick to throw the ball back to his Director of Football, who was amused.
Paul Mitchell, who is in charge of the transition with Thiago Scuro, told us at the beginning of June that the club had reached a new stage and needed a “softer approach“, embodied by his successor.
“Someone more approachable than me. He (Thiago) has a different approach to management and that’s what the organisation now needs.” In just under an hour, that’s what the 42-year-old Brazilian had already made clear.
A shared commitment to an aggressive style of play
Here again, the two men are on the same wavelength. “Thiago and I have the same vision of football,” confided Adi Hütter. “I want to implement a dynamic, transitional, forward-looking style of play.” A style of football where “speed will count for a lot”, added Thiago Scuro.
A clear style of play, which will rapidly influence the Monegasque transfer market. “We’re going to keep the same philosophy for several seasons. It’s the team’s style that will guide recruitment,” asserted the Director of Football. “We want a winning team.”
And despite the absence of a European Cup this season – even if the club remains attentive to the evolution of Toulouse’s situation, which could be deprived of the Europa League, “we’re preparing for this scenario” – the club intends to be ambitious in its recruitment.
“We have other assets to attract players and build a great long-term project, such as the Performance Center and the team’s style of play,” explained the Brazilian. “We’re currently looking at the market, particularly for goalkeepers.”
Adi Hütter is well aware of the importance of the defensive side of the game, and has made it clear that this will be his top priority. “We’re going to pay particular attention to the defensive aspect. Fifty-eight goals (last season) is too many. We need to be more compact. It’s by maintaining pressure deep in the opposition’s half that we’ll be able to implement this aggressive game.”
The same goal: a return to the podium and the European Cup as soon as possible
With a disappointing sixth-place finish ruling the club out of all European competitions, AS Monaco is – more than ever – faced with the challenge of bouncing back, and fast.
“Our main objective is to return to the podium and compete in the Champions League,” said Thiago Scuro. “Everyone at the club has to be committed to achieving this goal, and I’ll make sure that’s the case.”
To achieve this, the former Bragantino sports manager will be able to rely on his coach, who is also ambitious and determined to put AS Monaco, “a magnificent club“, back on the map. “The most important thing is to get back to Europe. Next year, the club celebrates its 100th anniversary, and it’s everyone’s goal to play in a European competition.”
It’s a project that could extend over several seasons, if Thiago Scuro is to be believed, but he insisted that he preferred to give his coaches time.
“My history confirms it, I’ve always had long relationships with coaches. We want to bring stability. Working with the same people over the long term brings results.” The club’s future is already set in motion.