viola nation 
25-03-2024 20:04
25-03-2024 20:04
Italiano is inching towards a Fiorentina exit
After of Fiorentina’s uncomfortably close Conference League win over Maccabi Haifa, some of Vincenzo Italiano’s post-game comments were lost in the shuffle. The shocking death of Joe Barone has only obscured the manager’s statements further. However, it sounds like our beloved Cousin Vinnie is ready to move on, saying, “The end of the season is more important than my future.”
Since then, Sport Italia has reported that Italiano is indeed leaving. It makes more sense now that the mister has been discussing the importance of ending the season with a trophy now (the Viola are on course for two again), as it would allow him to leave Tuscany with his head held high, ensuring his status as a legend upon his eventual return, no matter who he’s coaching (okay, outside of maybe Juventus). After signing an extension last summer, he’ll be out of contract in June and it sounds like he has no plans to sign another one.
By the end of the season, Italiano will have spent a full 3 years as the manager, which is the most of anyone since Vincenzo Montella. He’ll also have coached more games than all but 4 or 5 (depending on those cup competitions) misters in Viola history: Cesare Prandelli, Fulvio Bernardini, Giuseppe Chiappella, Claudio Ranieri, and possibly Luigi Ferrerro, leapfrogging Montella and Giancarlo de Sisti. In terms of points per match, his 1.68 is right in the neighborhood of legends like Montella and Prandelli in the 3-points-for-a-win era; a strong finish to the season could see him vault up those rankings too.
More than that, though, he’s reformed a miserable club into one which demands success. Remember where things stood when he took the reins: Giuseppe Iachini had done well enough to wriggle out of some tight spots, but nobody liked watching Fiorentina. Nobody went into games with the expectation of dominance, of keeping up with the Champions League regulars. The current dissatisfaction with Italiano is more about the benchmark set by his own previous success than his own shortcomings.
Replacing the longest-serving manager of the Rocco Commisso era (and since Montella’s first go-round) is going to be tricky. The club is poised to leap but could go in one of many directions. The loss of Barone makes the long-term planning even more complicated, but hopefully Daniele Pradè and Nicolás Burdisso can maintain continuity with the club’s vision. I’ll delve into potential replacements in a follow-up article shortly, but suffice it to say that there are plenty of fascinating options for the bench.
Where Italiano goes next is the real question. The obvious answer, of course, is Napoli. The scudetto holders clearly haven’t recovered from losing Luciano Spalletti, cycling through Rudi Garcia, Walter Mazzari, and now Francesco Calzona. Aurelio de Laurentiis doubtless wants some stability on the bench and, in Italiano’s southern roots, sees a chance to bring a local flavor that will also play a similar style to Spalletti’s expansive attack.
While the Partenopei are certainly the favorites to grab Italiano, there are plenty of other clubs sniffing around. AC Milan’s constant flirtation with firing Stefano Pioli (who deserves better) means they might want a new manager this summer. Too, there’s likely interest from abroad: the Premier League may have cooled slightly on Roberto de Zerbi but remains fascinated with Italian managers, and Italiano’s German connections (he was born in Karlsruhe) could spark some Bundesliga interest.
Wherever he ends up, he’ll likely do well. Italiano’s succeeded at every stop on his journey so far and has shown a willingness to tweak his tactics that will work with most teams. His players all love him and he’s raised the profile of Trapani, Spezia, and now Fiorentina. Despite the inexplicable bile he draws from certain segments of the Viola fan base, he’s been one of the better Viola managers in recent memory; in this century, I’d argue that he definitively trails only Prandelli and Montella, which is a heck of an achievement.
What I’m saying is that we should enjoy him while he’s here, because it’ll only be a few more months. He hasn’t been perfect, sure, but neither is any manager. However, he’s returned Fiorentina to its rightful place: challenging for Europe after years in the wilderness, brimming with confidence and attacking intent. That’s worth celebrating as much as anything in the club’s recent history, so thanks, Cousin Vinnie. We’ll miss you.
Since then, Sport Italia has reported that Italiano is indeed leaving. It makes more sense now that the mister has been discussing the importance of ending the season with a trophy now (the Viola are on course for two again), as it would allow him to leave Tuscany with his head held high, ensuring his status as a legend upon his eventual return, no matter who he’s coaching (okay, outside of maybe Juventus). After signing an extension last summer, he’ll be out of contract in June and it sounds like he has no plans to sign another one.
By the end of the season, Italiano will have spent a full 3 years as the manager, which is the most of anyone since Vincenzo Montella. He’ll also have coached more games than all but 4 or 5 (depending on those cup competitions) misters in Viola history: Cesare Prandelli, Fulvio Bernardini, Giuseppe Chiappella, Claudio Ranieri, and possibly Luigi Ferrerro, leapfrogging Montella and Giancarlo de Sisti. In terms of points per match, his 1.68 is right in the neighborhood of legends like Montella and Prandelli in the 3-points-for-a-win era; a strong finish to the season could see him vault up those rankings too.
More than that, though, he’s reformed a miserable club into one which demands success. Remember where things stood when he took the reins: Giuseppe Iachini had done well enough to wriggle out of some tight spots, but nobody liked watching Fiorentina. Nobody went into games with the expectation of dominance, of keeping up with the Champions League regulars. The current dissatisfaction with Italiano is more about the benchmark set by his own previous success than his own shortcomings.
Replacing the longest-serving manager of the Rocco Commisso era (and since Montella’s first go-round) is going to be tricky. The club is poised to leap but could go in one of many directions. The loss of Barone makes the long-term planning even more complicated, but hopefully Daniele Pradè and Nicolás Burdisso can maintain continuity with the club’s vision. I’ll delve into potential replacements in a follow-up article shortly, but suffice it to say that there are plenty of fascinating options for the bench.
Where Italiano goes next is the real question. The obvious answer, of course, is Napoli. The scudetto holders clearly haven’t recovered from losing Luciano Spalletti, cycling through Rudi Garcia, Walter Mazzari, and now Francesco Calzona. Aurelio de Laurentiis doubtless wants some stability on the bench and, in Italiano’s southern roots, sees a chance to bring a local flavor that will also play a similar style to Spalletti’s expansive attack.
While the Partenopei are certainly the favorites to grab Italiano, there are plenty of other clubs sniffing around. AC Milan’s constant flirtation with firing Stefano Pioli (who deserves better) means they might want a new manager this summer. Too, there’s likely interest from abroad: the Premier League may have cooled slightly on Roberto de Zerbi but remains fascinated with Italian managers, and Italiano’s German connections (he was born in Karlsruhe) could spark some Bundesliga interest.
Wherever he ends up, he’ll likely do well. Italiano’s succeeded at every stop on his journey so far and has shown a willingness to tweak his tactics that will work with most teams. His players all love him and he’s raised the profile of Trapani, Spezia, and now Fiorentina. Despite the inexplicable bile he draws from certain segments of the Viola fan base, he’s been one of the better Viola managers in recent memory; in this century, I’d argue that he definitively trails only Prandelli and Montella, which is a heck of an achievement.
What I’m saying is that we should enjoy him while he’s here, because it’ll only be a few more months. He hasn’t been perfect, sure, but neither is any manager. However, he’s returned Fiorentina to its rightful place: challenging for Europe after years in the wilderness, brimming with confidence and attacking intent. That’s worth celebrating as much as anything in the club’s recent history, so thanks, Cousin Vinnie. We’ll miss you.