From Player to Coach: Walid Regragui’s Philosophy on Building a Winning Team
Walid Regragui, the mastermind behind Morocco’s stunning 2022 World Cup run, has a unique perspective on what it takes to build a winning football team. In a candid interview with Onze Mondial, he shared his journey from professional player to celebrated coach, revealing his core beliefs about talent, adaptability, and the power of national pride.
Regragui’s transition to coaching wasn’t a meticulously planned career move. “I knew I wanted to stay in the world of football, close to the pitch,” he admitted. “But I wasn’t sure what role I would play.” Like many athletes facing retirement, he explored different avenues before realizing that coaching was his true calling. This resonates with a broader trend in sports, where former players often leverage their experience and passion to guide the next generation. A 2020 study by the CIES Football Observatory found that over 60% of top-tier managers had previously played professionally.
For Regragui, the key to success isn’t just tactical prowess; it’s the quality of the players. He believes that a team brimming with individual talent can elevate any tactical system. “In the past, you could adapt players to the system,” he explained. ”But at the World Cup, we realized
