If we were to rank the Pro League since the return of Felice Mazzù to Charleroi, the Zèbres would be third in the championship, just behind Union and Antwerp. When he took over the team, Sporting was closer to the red zone than the playoffs. Today, Carolos are at the gates of this mini-tournament for Europe. They are even in the points lost while waiting for the verdict (on the field or in court) of the match once morest Mechelen. But that is for nothing. Saturday evening in Westerlo, under the drache, the supporters of Charleroi, often with bare torsos, only wanted to sing, not to throw smoke bombs.
What Mazzù has been doing in Charleroi for four months is the mark of a great coach. He analyzed the locker room perfectly and managed to get the best out of it. The case of Youssouph Badji, author of the magnificent goal of victory in stoppage time at Kuipje, is the best example: the Senegalese has gone from being a player without any confidence who has been dragging his spleen for a few seasons to a center forward dangerous of Pro League. A resurrection between Christmas and Easter signed Mazzù, the pope of Mambourg.
Largely tarnished by his failed stint in Anderlecht, the image of coach Carolo is taking on new colors. We feel him on a mission, with a spirit of revenge that he instills in his men. Without saying anything to anyone, he has the idea, even the objective, of reaching and then winning the playoffs 2. A feat which, at the same time, would deprive Anderlecht of taking a European ticket (unless winning the Conference League), which would not displease Mazzù.
A great coach doesn’t have to be at a great club.
But Charleroi’s return to the fore does not only prove that Mazzù is an excellent coach. He also shows that he is definitely not made for a big club. After Genk and Anderlecht, the G5 will not give him another chance. Just watch the matches of the Zebras to understand. He develops a football of reaction and courage. Straightforward play with no frills. It’s not very pretty but it works because he managed to get his wardrobe to adhere to this philosophy. A membership almost impossible to obtain in a big club.
In today’s football, players who have the chance to perform for a prestigious club want to win but also look following their image. Mazzù’s football of combat and courage will not appeal to a locker room where the guys already have a taste for luxury. They will need more precision in the offensive strategy, more finesse.
But does a great coach always have to be in a great club? No, there are big coaches from big clubs and big coaches from smaller clubs. Mazzù belongs to the second category. It’s nothing humiliating. Just don’t make a mistake hiring it. The Carolo might achieve great things abroad but choosing the “underdog”, not the favorite of the competition.
Before Westerlo-Charleroi, we found Toni Brogno: “For me, signing in the Campine was signing abroad”
