Fans of the ‘Gialloblu’ will be hoping for more of the same this season after Domenico Di Carlo was re-appointed the Coach just one season after leaving the Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi for greener pastures at Sampdoria. In coming Coach Stefano Pioli took the ‘Flying Donkey’s’ to an amazing 11th place finish, their highest ranking for over five years before parting in the summer for the bigger challenge at the helm of the good ship Stadio Renzo Barbera as Palermo Coach.
This decision soon back fired on him as the craziness of working for President Maurizio Zamparini hit new heights when he was sacked just days before the scheduled start of the new campaign with Zamparini claiming he feared relegation with Pioli in charge despite the fact that he was the man responsible for chasing and ultimately appointing Pioli in the first place. The Coach joins a small band of men such as Steve Claridge (at Milwall) and Leroy Rosenior (at Torquay) who were hired and ultimately fired in a close season with their teams not even kicking a ball in anger under their new coaches.
Di Carlo had previously taken Chievo to consecutive 16th and then 14th place finishes in Serie A. He was seemingly getting the best out of talismanic captain Sergio Pellissier who even got a call-up to the Azzurri squad under Di Carlo’s management. It was no wonder that bigger clubs were coming calling, with the popular Frosinone born leader eventually leaving for Sampdoria who had chosen him to replace another former Gialloblu Coach in Luigi Delneri.
Delneri had just qualified ‘la Samp’ for the Champions League qualifiers before deciding he was ready for the bigger challenge of restoring Juventus to former glories. After bowing out of the Champions League in the qualifiers, Di Carlo had an unsuccessful spell in the group stages of the Europa League. He was sacked in March this year with Sampdoria struggling around the relegation zone. The Genoa based club were eventually relegated following defeat in the derby against Genoa.
Di Carlo jumped at the chance to come and work for his mentor in club President Luca Campedelli once more, the one man he says has always believed in him. Fans of the Gialloblu were also happy, though Di Carlo knows that he must prove himself all over again, he won’t be so quick to jump to new pastures next time.
The problem for Di Carlo has been the dismantling of last season’s successful squad. Kevin Constant left for Genoa; Gelson Fernandes’ loan was not renewed with the player preferring to team up again with his old Manchester City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson at Leicester City. Long-time left back Andrea Mantovani finally left to follow out-going Coach Stefano Pioli to Palermo after three consecutive seasons of speculation.
Midfielder Simone Bentivoglio was also allowed to leave at the end of last season following a successful loan spell at Bari. This means that Di Carlo is again rebuilding his Gialloblu squad and quickly looking to put his stamp on it. He will be putting his faith in his new signings. Young 21 year old striker Alberto Paloschi was signed on loan in a co-ownership deal with parent club A.C. Milan. Di Carlo hopes he will strike an early partnership with skipper Sergio Pellissier. It is in midfield where Di Carlo has significantly strengthened however.
The key losses of Bentivoglio, Constant and Fernandes will be cushioned by the signings of 24 year old Czech International Kamil Vacek from Sparta Prague, another 24 year old International in Finish midfielder Perparim Hetemaj who was signed for 1.2million Euros from Brescia. USA International Michael Bradley has also been added from Borussia Monchengladbach after new Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish declined to extend his loan deal.
Finally Peruvian International Rinaldo Cruzado has been added as competition for the engine room from Juan Aurich. He decided to try his luck in Europe again following a previous spell with Grasshoppers of Zurich in the Swiss A-League earlier in his career. Di Carlo will also look to his old guard of Pellissier, goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino and defender Gennaro Sardo to help the new faces settle in and continue to make the Stadio Bentegodi a place to fear for visiting sides.
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