In a country of flamboyance and passion, it can be difficult for the more reticent and cerebral of Italian coaches to get their voices heard.
After joining Lazio in the summer with neither fanfare nor fireworks, Stefano Pioli has put himself firmly on the map.
His side are breathing down Roma’s neck for second spot, and have now progressed to the Coppa Italia final. An unpopular choice when he joined, that body of work is beginning to speak for itself.
It was reasonable, when Claudio Lotito turned to Pioli after the departure of Edy Reja, to question if his CV stood up to the task at hand. Certainly, his last position in Serie A offered little encouragement.
After a remarkable start to his Felsinei career, time eventually caught up with him, though in truth, his Bologna side were doomed from the off. Too many years of selling the family silver and too little opportunity to polish that which remained had terminally weakened the squad.
While Pioli remained dignified during his attempt to stabilise the 2013-14 vintage Rossoblu, some of his moves were a halfway house between desperation and innovation.
However, it spoke loudly of his standing that after his departure, supporters who were enduring a torrid season held aloft banners reading ‘Grazie, Mister Stefano’ to praise his efforts.
In his new job last summer, it was immediately more of the same from Pioli.
Quietly, but determinedly, he started going about his business. Admittedly, it started slowly; new signings can take time to settle, especially from abroad. The likes of Stefan De Vrij (Feyenoord), Filip Djordjevic (Nantes) and Dusan Basta (Udinese) became mainstays in the team; but there have been other problems for Pioli to conquer.
Lazio managed to find their feet after a poor opening to the campaign, but Pioli struggled to find consistency within his side.
He wasn’t helped by the revolving door that seemed to have been placed on the Biancocelesti treatment room this season; only Marco Parolo and Miroslav Klose have avoided missing games through injury so far. As such, inconsistency of selection begat inconsistency of results.
In some ways, the November injury to Antonio Candreva that brought Felipe Anderson into the team was a blessing in disguise, as it was undoubtedly the pivotal moment for both Lazio and Pioli’s season.
The Brazilian has been revelatory as the Aquile have taken flight since then, scoring goals, making goals, and creating a buzz around a side which had been playing a low-key second fiddle to Roma for so long that even the Coppa Italia victory in 2013 had begun to feel as though it belonged to the ages.
His performance in the first Derby della Capitale was electric, and it seemed to breathe wider belief into Pioli’s side. Suddenly, Roma, who had dominated the headlines, results and the city of Rome itself, were reachable.
Further to that, a run of seven victories in a row has seen Lazio propel themselves into third spot, and with nine games to go — nine cup finals, admits Pioli — they sit six points clear of Fiorentina and only one behind their city rivals. In addition to those games there is, after another two Anderson assists, an actual cup final — in their own stadium no less — against Juventus.
After spending two and a half years looking over his shoulder while with Bologna, Pioli has earned the right to look upwards.
“Getting into the Champions League without a qualifier is a very important goal for us,” Pioli admitted after Coppa Italia hero Senad Lulic’s strike saw off the semi-final challenge of Napoli.
“So I would prefer to get in front of Roma for second place.”
Yet the Coppa Italia would be a fine reward for a season that has exceeded all expectations — apart perhaps from those of their coach.
On joining the Biancocelesti, Pioli announced his intentions. As ever, they were forceful without being boastful.
“I am here to do big things and to return Lazio to where they belong,” Pioli announced.
“The club offered me a two-year deal but I signed a one-year contract instead, which will automatically be renewed if we get back into Europe.”
It looks as though Mister Stefano will be sticking around.
