Radhi JaidiSouthampton

'Lemerre gave me direction' - Jaidi on his coaching career

Radhi Jaidi has explained how former Tunisia manager Roger Lemerre gave him direction in his decision to go into coaching.

The 44-year-old was capped 105 times by the Carthage Eagles and was part of the successful squad that won the Africa Cup of Nations on home soil in 2004.

Lemerre was the man in charge of the North African nation at the time and it was the third international tournament the coach won following the Euro 2000 and 2001 Confederation Cup victories with France.

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He was also assistant to Aime Jacquet for Le Bleu's first-ever World Cup triumph at home in 1998.

"As a player I had the chance to train with a lot of coaches. At Esperance, we had almost every year a new coach, apart from the [Youssef] Zouaoui or [Faouzi] Benzarti periods," Jaidi told Foot365.

"I have had coaches from Brazil, Italy, France and Switzerland. It gave me a lot of contact with different cultures and approaches. There were open coaches and others more closed, aggressive coaches and others more relaxed.

"Roger Lemerre gave me direction. I already had ideas before meeting him, but Roger Lemerre led me to another idea of ​​what a professional coach could accomplish.

"He opened my eyes to the other levels, he who had won the World Cup and the Euro, and who was going to win the Afcon with us."

Jaidi also recounts the greatest moments in his career, with the Afcon victory topping the list.

"I had a lot of emotions. I had some very strong ones with the national team in 2004, everyone still talks about it," he continued.

"This victory at Afcon, at home, was something extraordinary for me and for a whole people.

"Twelve million Tunisians remember it so far as if it were yesterday. I don't know if I was stronger than that, to see my people everywhere in the streets, who celebrate this, it's unforgettable.

"Whenever I come back to Tunisia, people talk to me about that.

"Well, I had other great moments, my first year in the Premier League with Bolton was very successful, especially since I was the first Tunisian to play in the Premier League. I scored goals against big teams like Chelsea, Liverpool or Tottenham."

Jaidi's stint in coaching so far has seen him manage the Southampton Under-23 team and he is presently the manager of Hartford Athletic in the United States.

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