As Roberto Donadoni begins a new chapter in his managerial career with Parma we look back over some of the former Milan midfielder’s experiences to date and ponder whether he has finally found the right club to rebuild his reputation as a top level Serie A manager following those unsuccessful and problematic spells in charge of the Italian national team and club sides Cagliari and Napoli, each of which he lasted less than 24 games in charge.
In light of his quite disastrous recent managerial track record, it’s no wonder why a number of Parma fans have greeted Donadoni’s appointment with a degree of scepticism. Many Ducali tifosi have been left wondering why Director General Pietro Leonardi and Club Owner Tomasso Ghirardi came to the conclusion that a man who had been ‘relieved of his managerial duties’ from three sides in the past three years and who led Italy to one of their most catastrophic European Championship campaigns in history, would be the right replacement for Franco Colomba, the man who had rescued Parma from a relegation battle the previous year.
Upon unveiling Donadoni, Leonardi rebuked media suggestions that ‘The Don’ was not their first choice and instead backed the former Azzurri boss to help transform Parma as they look towards the future together, “I read that I had made a series of meetings before choosing the new Coach, but instead I have to tell you yesterday morning I only went to see Donadoni and continued talks until 2am. During that time, there were many phone calls with President Tommaso Ghirardi, who was crucial in this negotiation process. We are turning over a new leaf and looking to the future in a positive way [with Donadoni’s appointment].
With the apparent full backing of the board and club owners, promises of €10m investment in restructuring the Collecchio training ground, and a squad comprising of players with the calibre of Sebastian Giovinco, the pint sized trequartista who has bagged 8 goals in Serie A already this season, and Sergio Floccari, surely Donadoni has found the perfect environment to resurrect his faltering managerial career?
Donadoni built a reputation for himself as a manager on the rise when he joined Livorno in January 2005 for a second spell in charge. Livorno became the twilight experience of Donadoni’s career, where he guided the Tuscan’s to a surprise ninth place league finish in their first season in Serie A since 1949.
If that was considered special the following season Donadoni began to work a miracle with the tiny port club, inspiring Livorno to become Serie A’s serial overachievers as the Amaranto, with the help of in-form goal machine Cristiano Lucarelli, found themselves fighting for European qualification by mid-January, sitting in fifth position with a five point advantage over the team directly below them in the standings, Roma!
Livorno where baffling pundits and gaining the appraise of Serie A fans alike with Donadoni being cited by the directors and players as the reason for the club’s astounding success .The 1982 World Cup winner’s stock was rising and he looked to be creating a legacy with the club, amassing an impressive run of nine games unbeaten en-route to their high league standing.
“I think he has something of [Arrigo] Sacchi and something of [Fabio] Capello, his coaches as a player. But he doesn’t have to join a big club too quickly, though sooner or later he will follow the footsteps of Ancelotti, Sacchi and Capello – he is a great coach like them” said Aldo Spinelli, director of Livorno.
Francesco Coco added, “I want to thank Livorno and Donadoni because they have allowed me to prove many people wrong”.
Donadoni seemed untouchable working wonders with lowly Livorno.
However in an unpredictable turn of events, the dream came to a premature end midway through the season in early February as club director Spinelli publicly lambasted Donadoni after a 2-2 draw with Messina, where Livorno threw away a two goal lead, claiming he had “made a complete mess” of his tactics and substitutions on television show Il Processo di Biscardi. Livorno’s form had dipped slightly throughout the month, taking only four points from their last 5 matches, but nevertheless the blast came as a real shock with the Tuscan’s still remaining an unexpectedly high sixth position in Serie A.
Donadoni felt betrayed by Spinelli’s outburst and resigned the following Tuesday explaining, “The minimum I would have expected is that we could have had a debate between ourselves about it (team tactics)…If his intention was to get me to resign, then he has succeeded. It’s not my intention to get in the way of what so clearly appear to be the wishes of the president”.
It was after living the Livorno dream that Donadoni’s managerial career and reputation began to stagnate and decline. ‘The Don’ went on take the poison chalice that was succeeding legendary Azzurri boss Marcelo Lippi at the helm of Italy for that ill fated period mentioned earlier, and then to record a further nightmare spell in charge of Napoli in 2009 where he would oversee a horrendous run of form that consisted of just four victories in seventeen games and saw the Partenopei languish 15th in the table before being abruptly sacked by club President Aurelio De Laurentiis after just seven months in charge.
To add further insult to wound, Donadoni’s next job would see him take control of Cagliari for the 2010/11 season and guide them to a respectable final league position of 14th, securing safety for the Rossoblu.
But come the summer Donadoni’s career was to suffer something of a relapse as his stay in Sardina was to come to unexpected end following another public fallout with a club president, this time Massimo Cellino over the transfer dealings that had seen Alessandro Matri and David Suazo depart the club over a six month period. Donadoni was once again sacked, lasting only 9 months this time.
Therefore it was only to be expected that Parma fans would greet his appointment at the helm with uncertainty as the Bergamo man’s managerial track record in recent times had become something of a train wreck. Yet his time at Livorno still stands as testament to the work he is capable of and if history is anything to go by, then the omens may well be in Donadoni’s favour to recreate a spell similar to his Livorno fairytale with new side Parma as comparisons emerge with the beginnings he had during that memorable experience.
To begin with, upon his appointment at Parma, Donadoni replaced the same man, Franco Colomba, at the same stage of the season as to when he arrived at Livorno in 2005.
During that season, Colomba was sacked because, similar to the circumstances at Parma this season, his side suffered back to back heavy defeats in the league to Juventus and spookily enough, the team who put the nail in the coffin this season, Inter.
Comparisons continue with how Donadoni started off his tenure at each club as on his debut game with Parma ‘The Don’ managed to recreate the score he achieved on his debut with Livorno, a 3-1 victory.
Donadoni however hinted that he wants to forget about the past and those disastrous spells in recent years and instead look to the future with Parma, but it may well be that history is trying to repeat itself in Donadoni’s favour this time and if so, Parma fans may well be in for a hell of a ride over the coming campaigns if ‘The Don’ can come close to copying the results he achieved during that spectacular spell in charge of Livorno.
Only time will tell if Donadoni can build on the similarities and emulate the success he achieved at Livorno with new club Parma but one thing for certain is that after describing the Emilio-Romagna club as an “oasis” during his official unveiling Donadoni wants Parma to finally be the right club where he can deliver on his hunger for success and prove his worth once again as a Serie A manager.
“This team has to firstly catch and then overtake the sides which are currently ahead of us in the standings…Parma are not a club which should just have safety as its only objective. It’s not in my plans or those of the club to look over our shoulders”. Donadoni is aiming high following his impressive 3-1 debut win over Siena and the sense is positive that this may finally be the right club for the Livorno legend.
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