Since I starting writing for Forza Italian Football, I’ve spent an enormous amount of time moaning about Maurizio Zamparini and his trigger finger. Surely this time, with popular young coach Devis Mangia achieving impressive things with a squad of limited quality, I wouldn’t have to again? Surprise, surprise, I do.
Palermo’s 2-0 defeat at the hands of rivals Catania was the nail in the coffin for Mangia, and much like Ezio Glerean, Daniele Arrigoni, Nedo Sonetti, Silvio Baldini, Francesco Guidolin (four times), Luigi Del Neri, Giuseppe Papadopulo, Renzo Gobbo, Rosario Pergolizzi, Stefano Colantuono (two times), Davide Ballardini, Walter Zenga, Delio Rossi (two times), Serse Cosmi and Stefano Pioli before him, was forced out of the club. Palermo have now had five coaches in as many months.
“I’m prepared to give Mangia 100 percent credit and want to take a gamble on him, I think he’s a coach who can do great things, I don’t want to lose him and I want to begin a new cycle with him,” Zamparini said in September, whilst comparing him to Arsene Wenger.
“U.S. Città di Palermo announces that, today, the coach Devis Mangia and his staff have been exempted from the leadership of the first team,” a statement on the club website read on Monday. How times change. “The team would like to thank the coach for his availability and for his work in the great effort in his leap from Primavera to the first team, considering it an excellent technical achievement.”
Mangia gave a wonderful farewell message to the fans. “I was in Palermo almost five months,” he wrote. “Not a long time, but enough to fall in love with the city and fans which are so special. I thank the President Maurizio Zamparini for believing in me and giving me this extraordinary opportunity. I also thank all the wonderful people who have surrounded me: my staff, physiotherapists, the press office, storekeepers, doctors and all the staff that revolves around the first team and the team. Thanks to the press for always treating me correctly. Finally, special thanks to all the guys I was lucky enough to train and with whom I have established a very special relationship.”
The 21st coach in the 10 years that Zamparini has been at the club is Bortolo Mutti, a 57-year-old experienced coach, who has taken charge of the Rosanero previously, along with the likes of Napoli, Atalanta, and most recently Bari, who he took charge of last season before being sacked after relegation. The inevitable question now is; how long has he got? 10 games? 20?…if he’s lucky! It’s a disappointing move, a coach with little on his CV with which to boast, replacing an exciting 37-year-old who was growing and learning with the team.
It is true to say that Mangia hasn’t won a game on the road this season, and Palermo haven’t even scored a goal when playing away from home. But when we see what a fortress the Renzo Barbera still is, and that the Aquile are 10th in the table with a squad many thought was barely enough to stay in the division, it is an impressive achievement for a man who previously had never coached a senior team in Serie A. Javier Pastore, Mattia Cassani, Salvatore Sirigu – the list of stars that Palermo lost over the summer is extortionate, especially when considering the sub-standard players which have replaced them.
Any coach would struggle to get into the top half of the table with such a squad, and no coach is able to match Zamparini’s aspirations and expectations. Best of luck, Mr Mutti – you’ll need it.
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As much as I think getting rid of Mangia is a terrible decision – he had little to work with because of Zamparini’s terrible transfer conducting during the summer – it’s a bit of a relief to see a young, promising manager saved from the trauma of managing a broken team on the verge of a massive losing streak.
Juve hv to pull up their sox so as to win the Italian Serie A,the Rossoneri are back in the business and so do the Nerazurri, i would like to conglatulate Raniel for wht has done so far cz we saw Inter in the last position but now they are in the top 5.BiG UP Ranieli