Recently, Dušan Vlahović has emerged as the standout player for Juventus. It’s surprising to see how well he is performing, especially considering the special treatment he is receiving from Tudor. When you have excellent players with big egos who aren’t showing their talent on the pitch, it’s often better to bench them. If they are not performing, it feels as if you’ve already lost them. If they respond positively from the bench and play well, that’s great; if not, then it might be time to sell them.

However, making the bold decision to bench a talented player requires a certain kind of madness, which is exactly what Tudor possesses. By managing Vlahović’s ego, Tudor has helped bring out the best in Dušan, benefiting both him and Juventus.

Many coaches shy away from taking such decisive actions, but not coaches from the Balkans. These coaches utilize their man-management skills wisely, leveraging their players’ egos to help them improve. Players often become frustrated and determined to show that they have been treated unjustly, leading them to give their all to prove their coach wrong. In this way, the coach helps the player reach their full potential, something other man-management methods might not achieve, particularly given the unique upbringing many have in the Balkan region, most of the time this is the only way to wake up athlete from Balkan region. Only a “mad” man can understand another “mad” man.

Is this the right approach? If you were to ask educators and psychologists, they would likely say absolutely not. However, if the principles of pedagogy and psychology had been respected in the Balkans, would we see as many great athletes emerging from the region? We can’t know for certain, but it’s probable that we would have a better-functioning society. Nonetheless, that’s not the issue we are discussing here. This is why only a “crazy” Balkan can train another “crazy” Balkan.