The only manager to win two World Cups, this book extract relays how Pozzo’s character was shaped by his experiences in an Italian Alpine regiment during the first world war

Vittorio Pozzo, the only manager to win two World Cups, in 1934 and 1938, is often celebrated as the competition’s greatest manager. But long before he masterminded the Azzurri’s twin triumphs, Pozzo was a young officer enduring the brutal realities of the first world war. Pozzo’s experiences in the trenches from 1915 to 1918, by his own admission, forged the discipline, resilience and leadership that defined his coaching philosophy.

Born in Turin in 1886, Pozzo fell in love with football while watching Manchester United in his youth. By 1911 he was back in Italy, helping found Torino FC and managing the club’s early

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