Vieira: My favorite youngster besides Yamal is Douai and Bergkamp impresses me

Genoa head coach Vieira attended the 2025 European Golden Boy Award finalists announcement ceremony and was interviewed. He spoke about his time at Milan and who he considers the best players among other topics.

What do you think of your experience at AC Milan?

Was that experience difficult? It's not tough. From a growth perspective, that experience helped launch my 15-year career. I'm lucky enough to have Capello as my coach. When I arrived in Milan, I felt like a kid walking into a candy store. I was lucky enough to play alongside players like Baresi, Desailly and Costacurta, and observing their behavior on and off the field helped me launch my career. We always think of certain experiences as negative, but we have to see the other side. When we are young, it is important to look, to listen, and to figure out what kind of career we want. And I wanted to have a career like Desailly or Baresi.

What do you think of Serie A’s use of young players?

In Italy, there is a "braking" phenomenon, because the team is more focused on the results of the game at hand, so they dare not use young players. But we should think longer term and not lose trust in young people. Now, if a young player doesn't play, he goes to his coach and asks why. I didn't dare to do this to Capello back then. But society is changing, and now we have to find ways to communicate with them and give them trust, and that's important.

Which young people have left the deepest impression on me? It’s always hard to name names. Italy has a lot of young talent. It’s important that as a club we give them space because these young guys are waiting to come on and showcase their talent.

What advice do you have for today’s young players?

It is difficult for young players to gain space, but the most important thing for them is to find a way to play. I was 20 years old at Milan and it was a difficult situation, but my goal was to play in the 1998 World Cup, so I chose to leave. The next step for these young players is playing every week. Whether it's on loan or going to the second team, you have to find a place where you can play more games. To grow, loan or transfer is a solution.

Who is the young player you admire most?

Besides Yamal, my favorite is Douai. He is the strongest in Europe. Not just because of his goal in the Champions League final, he grew a lot at Rennes and continued that momentum at PSG. He went through hard times but he trained hard and never gave up.

Who is the player who impressed you the most?

For me, it’s too easy to say Zidane. But the one that impressed me most was Bergkamp at Arsenal. The strongest in training? There are many, but the career standout is Thuram. He has the strongest mentality of anyone I know and he never gives up.

Regarding Thuram’s two sons, Marcus and Kefren, do you think education or DNA is more important?

is education. Marcus and Kevren are both really good kids who work hard on the court. When you have talent, intelligence and humility, you can have a successful career.

Mini-game recommendations:Kawaii Friends: Tiles Matcher