Sergei Shevchenko - on the appointments held in this offseason.
While the players of the "scuadra azurra" sad watching TV, Serie A clubs appoint coaches. Five teams in the new season will be led by other mentors, and in some cases it's an extremely curious alliances.
Carlo Ancelotti (Napoli) What is known?.
Legend. Three-time winner of the Champions League, who won four different top championships. Mr. coolness, "air conditioning in the locker room". His press conferences bring boredom, but the collection of trophies will envy any colleague. Papa Carlo returns to Italian football, and this in itself is great news.
Past season Mildly speaking, not the best for Ancelotti. He was fired from Bavaria indecently early, in September. The reason was a major setback in Paris, where the Munich lost 0: 3. Surprisingly, the conflict with the leaders of the German grandee. Carlo's strong point is the ability to find a common language with stars of any level. This situation has a curious implication: the Bavarian "senators" felt that Ancelotti does not burden the team very much, and trained secretly from him. Does this mean that the methods of the Italian specialist are outdated?.
Until the end of the season Ancelotti was on vacation. There were talks about the Italian team, but why did Carlo change the profile of activity in 59 years? He wanted to work only with clubs, and if the option with Milan also did not look reliable, then Napoli's offer was more convincing.
What for have appointed or nominated?.
Scudetto. The idea-fix for Naples. Last season, this goal was close, but Maurizio Sarri, despite the fine set by the game, failed to get the trophy and, as a result, did not receive absolution for their sins. To such, according to Aurelio De Laurentiis, President Napoli, were reluctance to rotate the composition, as well as a notorious victim of European Cup tournaments. We add controversy over the new contract, a pinch of media scandals and get the coach's care, which seemed to be ideally suited to Napoli.
Ancelotti's invitation is a strong move. For Naples, since the time of Maradona, the scale of the personality is important, and Carlo, of course, can inspire the team to conquer the trophy. Another goal is to provide personnel reinforcement. Under Ancelotti will go players - those who would not agree to go to Napoli with another mentor. Subtext: next year De Laurentic turns 70. The president, who pulled Napoli from Serie C, dreams of the best gift for the anniversary and is ready to raise the rates of the endless pursuit of Juventus.
Perspectives Fans of Napoli are ecstatic, but so far this appointment does not look like a panacea. Ancelotti has been training team champions for many years, now he needs to steer the team-pretender, and the functions of the "air conditioner" definitely will not be enough for success. Juventus still does not pereshibit class performers, but Neapolitans risk losing their best quality - a machined and aesthetically beautiful game.
But the transfer campaign is expected to be fascinating. Simone Verdi, who had been persuaded for so long in the winter. Definitely take the goalkeeper to replace the Rhine. Looking forward to strengthening in defense and midfield. It is possible that the period under the leadership of Ancelotti will be akin to Napoli at Benitez. The team did not achieve anything, but it improved qualitatively (Higuain, Kalehon, Coulibaly, Mertens), which allowed it to gain a foothold in the leading group in the coming years.
Filippo Inzaghi (Bologna) What is known?.
The great striker Juventus and Milan, whose coaching career started at the wrong time in the wrong place. He too early accepted the adult team of the rossoneri in the spin, and the failure in the season-2014/15 (tenth place) became a stigma on the biography of a young specialist. Inzaghi was forced to reboot and go to the lower divisions, where just turned up a convenient option - Venice, which was raised from the very bottom.
Last season Very worthy. Venice initially did not go in the favorites of Serie B, but thanks to the work of Inzaghi was in the playoff zone. Filippo rebuilt the team's game on 3-5-2 (he used 4-3-3 a season earlier), built a strong defense, adjusted the rally of standards - and his players almost came out "transit" to the elite division. In the playoffs Inzaghi and the company knocked out Perugia, which was headed by another Milanese, Alessandro Nesta, but in the next stage in a dramatic struggle gave way to Palermo. Venice (which Stefano Vecchi, ex-mentor "youth" Inter and also very promising coach) took at least a year to stay at the level of Serie B, but Filippo became interested in the elite.
What for have appointed or nominated?.
Bologna needed fresh blood. Returning to Serie A, she was stuck in 14-15 places. Stability, which turned into stagnation. Donadoni after three years of work could hardly give the team something new. Inzaghi's coming is a chance to shake up the team, make it less predictable for opponents. Filippo needs to find new talents, and to bring back to life the relaxed stars like Mattia Destro.
Prospects It will not be easy. Bologna left the best player, Simone Verdi, and its composition is not suitable for the struggle for European competition (although the team should not fight for survival). It is possible that the first season of Inzaghi will go on renewal, and only then it is worth waiting for the results. Well and how not to forget about the appeared intrigue: Inzaghi against Milan, Inzaghi against Ancelotti and, above all, the fraternal derby with Simone!.
Roberto De Dzerbi (Sassuolo) What is known?.
A young coach who was barely 39 years old. He made his debut in Serie A at the head of Palermo (season-2016/17), but, like many other Sicilian mentors, he did not work there for long, only three months. Last season, De Dzerbi risked leading a hopeless Benevento and lost.
Last season, the Outsider rose with the arrival of De Dzerbi. The team, who did not score a single point before his appointment, issued a miracle match with Milan (De Dzerbi, by the way, a graduate of the Rossoneri), and then from time to time gained points. This was not enough even for the penultimate place, but Benevento escaped the anti-record, and the team's game with the new coach left a generally pleasant impression - the "witches" tried to play constructively even against the leaders.
What for have appointed or nominated?.
Sassuolo after the departure of Di Francesco is looking for a new coach with ideas. Inexperienced Christian Bucci failed to work in the elite division, so I had to hastily change it to Giuseppe Yakini. He confidently solved the problem of survival, but he, as is now clear, was not considered as a permanent mentor. De Dzerbi - a new bet.
Prospects Selection of players is better than in Benevento, but also tasks of a different plan. Sassuolo has already experienced the taste of European cups, and the leadership is more than ambitious - even Di Francesco was fired in 2014, but after a couple of months they changed their minds. The tasks and starting positions of De Dzerbi are quite comparable with the situation of Filippo Inzaghi (in the role of Destro here Berardi), especially if "disbelieve" will lose Matteo Politano.
Rolando Maran (Cagliari) What is known?.
Twice headed Katan, but really remembered at the head of Chievo, where he worked since the fall of 2014. The style of the game of Veronese at Maran was extremely expressive: power, pragmatic football and bet on experienced players. The stability of the base allowed the "flying donkeys" from year to year to be in the middle of the table.
Last season The mechanism began to malfunction. Perhaps, after all, in the "fatigue of metal": a number of players, including the local legend Pellissier, finally aged, and the change of skeleton - the process is always painful. Chievo sank in the spring and for a few rounds to the finish line hit the departure zone. It was then that the club management arranged a shock therapy with a change of coach. It helped, although the question is, will now cope with Lorenzo D'Anne, who has retained the post of coach Chievo and for the next season.
What for have appointed or nominated?.
Maran will have to work in Sardinia, where an experienced specialist who is able to handle veterans is needed - Cagliari often invites footballers who for 30 years (Padoin, Borriello, Chigarini, return to Kossu, now negotiations with Dario Srno). The task of Maran is to ensure stability for the team and guarantee its staying in the elite.
Prospects The candidacy looks appropriate. The power style of the game perfectly suits Leonardo Pavoletti - an intelligent scorer, which was somewhat forgotten for the past couple of years. Do not wait for the spectacle from the matches of Cagliari, but the islanders must survive without the hassle.
Julio Velazquez (Udinese) What is known?.
A very young (36 years old) Spaniard who was not a professional football player, but began to train from the age of 15. He worked in Villarreal, Murcia and Betis, but only when these teams played in Segunda. Also managed to light up in the Portuguese Belenezys.
Past season Alcorcon, another club Segunda. Velazquez took with him the 13th place out of 22, this is a positive result for the team from the suburbs of Madrid. In the Alcorcans 15 matches were played by Bruno Gama, the ex-midfielder of the Dnieper.
What for have appointed or nominated?.
If you believe the press, the candidates for the post of head coach Udinese recruited from half a dozen - from Cesare Prandelli to Miguel Cardoso, who worked in Shakhtar, and now heads Riu Ave. There is a choice of economical option.
Prospects A young foreigner with no experience in elite divisions of top championships - to put it mildly, a risky assignment. Doubt is caused by the very development vector of Udinese: while for owners, the Pozzo family, the priority is Watford, the club from Udine should not wait for positive. Velazquez will have a hard struggle at the bottom of the table, but this is also a chance for him to "swim" and declare himself.
Author: Sergey Shevchenko.