Even in the hire them and fire them world of Italian football this summer has seen a spectacular number of clubs appoint new managers. Giancarlo Rinaldi examines their chances of success in their recently-acquired roles.
Blame it all on Max Allegri, well sort of. When he threw away his jacket for the final time at Juventus it sparked a series of events that led – in a roundabout way – to four Serie A outfits putting new men in charge. The patron saint of managerial changes – former Venezia and Palermo boss Maurizio Zamparini – must be looking down from presidential heaven with pride.
In truth, Juventus seemed headed for a change of direction anyway before the Tuscan coach helped bring matters to a head. Thiago Motta’s form at Bologna had not escaped anyone’s attention and nor had the stultifyingly dull football that the Bianconeri had been churning out. La Vecchia Signora was in need of a makeover.
Of all the men in Italy taking up a fresh role, the former Inter midfielder surely has one of the most challenging but also the greatest array of weapons at his disposal. He has not been slow to bring in his own players and get rid of some illustrious names he no longer requires. Pre-season results have shown, however, that this revolution will not be completed overnight.
The ex-Italy international has been given the stern task of both overhauling Juve’s attitude while still delivering winning football. If there is anything we know about the club and its supporters it is that a Scudetto challenge is the bare minimum expected. Fail to deliver that, and he could be swiftly updating his LinkedIn profile in pursuit of another position.
His move, of course, left the Bologna hot seat vacant, and they have intriguingly appointed the end of an era at Fiorentina man Vincenzo Italiano. Unable to secure Champions League football with his previous employers, he has been gifted that tantalising prospect with his current ones. Under Motta, the Rossoblu were a joy to watch but with a pretty clearly defined starting XI. Their new manager likes to change his formations as often as he alters his touchline attire. He certainly has a lot to live up to at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara.
That switch, in turn, saw the Viola move for Raffaele Palladino as they sought to build on the foundations built by his predecessor. For all their lengthy European campaigns and Coppa Italia runs, the men in purple were stubbornly unable to deliver a trophy. The one-time Juve man will have to achieve that or, at the very least, qualify for a better competition than the Conference League in order to be considered a success.
And, finally, in this particular chain of changes, Monza have gone for Alessandro Nesta as their new man. It comes as no surprise given his links to his old Milan boss, Adriano Galliani, but, on his managerial record, represents something of a gamble. Nobody doubts his credentials as a player but his win percentage as a coach has dwindled sharply since he left Miami FC and took on less glamorous jobs at Perugia, Frosinone and Reggiana. He will need all the composure and class he showed on the field to prove himself a hit with an ambitious side.
Elsewhere, there have been plenty of other changes near the top end of last season’s table. Milan fans finally got what they wished for when the days of “Pioli’s On Fire” were finally extinguished. Having turned up their noses at the prospect of Julen Lopetegui, the supporters have ended up with Paulo Fonseca. The Portuguese manager has trophies galore from his time with Shakhtar Donetsk but he faces a more complex proposition with the Rossoneri. A distant second to their city cousins was unacceptable last year and it will be his unenviable job to narrow that gap significantly.
And, perhaps most appetising of all, is the return of Antonio Conte to take over at the helm of Napoli. Last season produced probably the worst title defence ever seen in Serie A history and it will take a recovery of equally seismic proportions to see them compete for the Scudetto again. What is not in doubt, though, is that they have appointed a serial winner who is in charge of a squad which is still very capable of being competitive. Expect some fireworks on the touchline – and in post-match interviews – as he looks to haul the Partenopei back to where they belong.
Another big team in search of scaling greater heights are Lazio who – having tired of Maurizio Sarri last season – have turned, somewhat surprisingly, to Marco Baroni. The Florentine coach performed something of a minor miracle in keeping Verona afloat last term and it has earned him a shot at the top table. It is nice to see him get the opportunity, but expectations are a whole lot higher than at the Stadio Bentegodi.
Even a newly-promoted side has switched from the man who gained them access to Serie A although it was hardly through choice at Venezia. They would gladly have kept hold of Paolo Vanoli but the overtures of Torino were too much for him to resist despite the glorious scenes of celebration in La Serenissima. Their old boss will be charged with making the Granata a little less dull and a lot more successful than they were last season. His replacement, Eusebio Di Francesco, is likely to face another battle to survive like the one he failed to complete – very unfortunately – with Frosinone.
Another man with Venezia connections – Paolo Zanetti – gets the gig at Verona after Baroni’s departure. Last seen in Serie A with a pretty dismal spell at Empoli, he has shown himself to be good at developing young players in the past but is likely to be in another fight to avoid relegation with his new charges. It is not unfamiliar territory to him, and much the same could be said of Davide Nicola – Mr Miracles – who will try to repeat the magic of Claudio Ranieri at Cagliari.
Kosta Runjaic is the only completely new face to Italian football as he moves in from a successful spell with Legia Warsaw to take the helm at Udinese. It is a typically bold move by the side from the Friuli that will be a fascinating watch. They will hope to be more comfortably mid-table under his stewardship.
Last, and probably least, is Empoli’s appointment of Roberto D’Aversa, who finished his time at Lecce with the ignominy of head-butting Verona player Thomas Henry in a heated clash. He has already said that he wishes to start a fresh chapter in his coaching career and hopes he won’t be remembered for the unsavoury end to his last job. He may have his work cut out, though, as the Tuscan side embarks on a record-breaking fourth consecutive Serie A campaign. Don’t bet on their boss being there to see the whole thing through.