Guglielmo Vicario’s former manager admits he did not want him to join Tottenham

Leonardo Semplici, who was Guglielmo Vicario’s manager at Cagliari, has admitted that he was hoping that the goalkeeper would stay put in Italy. 

Vicario had big shoes to fill at Tottenham, taking over the number one shirt from Hugo Lloris, and the Italian has made a smooth transition to life in North London since his move from Empoli in the summer.

While the 27-year-old quickly won over the Spurs fan base, pundits and the wider footballing public are now starting to take notice of his quality.

Former Premier League goalkeepers Thomas Sorensen and Mark Schwarzer named him as the best shot-stopper on show in the English top flight so far this season (The Optus Sport Football Podcast).

According to various reports, the former Empoli man attracted interest from a couple of Italian giants over the summer, including both Juventus and Inter Milan (One Football) before Tottenham swooped for him.

People were sad to see Vicario leave Italian football

Semplici has now said that he is delighted with the way things are going for Vicario at Spurs but admitted that he wished to see the goalkeeper remain in Serie A.

The 56-year-old told TV Play about the Tottenham number one: “When I gave him his debut with Cagliari, Vicario’s qualities were already apparent.

“But I have to say that he surprised me too, obviously, they were good to give him confidence at Empoli, to believe in him without giving weight to his potential mistakes. 

“So he had a great run and earned this chance to go to the Premier League. I would have preferred to see him in an Italian team, but unfortunately, the market is open in every sense.

“What matters is that he is enjoying his adventure in a great team like Tottenham, and I hope he can also continue. I am also pleased to see him in the orbit of the national team.”

Spurs Web Opinion

Whoever it is that pushed Vicario’s case at Spurs in the summer ahead of a safer option like David Raya, be it Postecoglou, Leonardo Gabbanini or Paratici (who was working as a consultant), deserves a lot of credit, for having the courage of their convictions.