Paving Serie A pathway for Fujian youths

Max Capriolo, who once helped nurture Italy internationals Moise Kean and Alessandro Buongiorno, now walks the training grounds of schools in Xiapu, bringing his Serie A experience to young players in the southeastern Chinese coastal county in Fujian province.

After a modest playing career in Italy's lower leagues, Capriolo transitioned into coaching, working with almost every age group from children to U18 professionals.

Now 50, he brings two decades of coaching experience that includes spells in youth academies at Serie A sides Juventus and Torino. Since early 2024, he has served under program director Marco Marchi at "Cagliari Xplay", a long-term cooperative project between the Italian club and Xiapu County.

"The passion here reminds me of Italy," Capriolo observed. "These kids look at you, they try hard and you can see them improving."

He works alongside 31-year-old Alessio Taris, another Cagliari youth team coach, in a comprehensive program that spans eight school teams and directly manages Xiapu No 1 High School's boys and girls teams. Their approach mirrors Cagliari's youth training philosophy while adapting to China's educational framework.

"The training model isn't vastly different," he explained. "But we must work within the school schedule." That means evening sessions after academic classes finish, with afternoons dedicated to analysis and collaboration with local PE teachers.

"The morning is when we prepare training for the next day," Capriolo said. "Alessio and I discuss what we observed. We work closely with Chinese coaches to ensure everyone understands our objectives."