Since the start of 2024, many tacticians have been going through media turmoil. Between those who have confirmed their departure like Jürgen Klopp to Liverpool and Xavi to FC Barcelona, and others currently on an ejection seat such as Mauricio Pochettino to Chelsea and Erik ten Hag to Manchester United, the football world is preparing to experience a real game musical chairs on the European benches. Also note all the other coaches coveted by big clubs who could also pack up in the coming months. We can in particular think of Mikel Arteta from Arsenal, Roberto De Zerbi from Brighton but also Xabi Alonso from Bayer Leverkusen. And if the world of Calcio is in the grip of a multiple crisis, at a time when numerous reforms are being debated, one ingredient allows Italy to retain part of its letters of nobility: its training of coaches and its waves successive young revolutionary tacticians.
In recent years, Italian tacticians have been exporting with varying degrees of success, but the attractiveness of these transalpine profiles is no longer a problem compared to certain previous decades, quite the contrary. Enzo Maresca at Leicester, Roberto De Zerbi at Brighton, Francesco Farioli at Nice, Fabio Grosso at Lyon, Gennaro Gattuso at Valencia then Marseille, and of course Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid and Antonio Conte at Tottenham. Although not everyone has the same success, Italian training is respected and above all in demand. Offers submitted to the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) to secure the services of these tactical nuggets are exploding in the hope of filling the tactical-technical gaps from which several European championships suffer. There is no doubt that the Italian school risks being invited into this coaching waltz this summer. Between big Italian teams looking for new blood and insistent foreign sirens, Italy will be a central protagonist of the summer.
Young nuggets at the end of their contract
Serie A will experience changing news during the summer. Indeed, coaches, in high demand on the coaching market, are reaching the end of their contracts. The old Parisian environment, Thiago Motta, is obviously at the top of the list, as his lease ends soon with Bologna. It is difficult to list all the big teams which have positioned themselves on the current Rossoblu coach in recent months. Paris Saint-Germain thought about it last summer before setting their sights on Luis Enrique. AS Roma also surveyed him for the post-José Mourinho era, as did Napoli to replace Luciano Spalletti. Currently, Juventus and AC Milan are actively considering it. Abroad, FC Barcelona has listed his name to succeed Xavi. He will certainly be the most requested Italian coach during the summer period. But he is far from being the only Italian who will thrill the coaching market. It will also be necessary to closely monitor the future of Vincenzo Italiano who is doing a fantastic job with Fiorentina. His contract ends next June and certain clubs risk relaunching the native of Karlsruhe. Napoli had even made it a priority but the management of the Viola will not want to let it happen, while Italiano has been at the center of the project for three years. The other young tactician coming to Italy is none other than Raffaele Palladino in Monza. Since taking office in place of Giovanni Stroppa in September 2022, the Lombard club’s project has developed rapidly, to the point of attracting the spotlight. While the Brianzoli maintain close ties with AC Milan, due to the shared history with the Galliani/Berlusconi duo, the Italian coach, at the end of his contract in June, is one of the candidates to replace Stefano Pioli at the end of season.
But they are not the only ones. Among the coaches less known than the previous trio but nevertheless possessing significant potential, Ivan Juric is not yet certain to extend to Torino. Although negotiations continue with the Turin management, the end of the Granata season will greatly determine the future of the native of Split in Piedmont. The Croatian coach himself announced it at a press conference: “We give everything, we do an extraordinary job. If I go to Europe, I stay at Torino. Otherwise, I will leave. I wanted to talk about it to be better understood. There is no desire to create disappointment. The message is: we are close to an important goal, we must all come together to achieve something fantastic., he said. On the side of Sassuolo, the young Italian coach, Alessio Dionisi, is not really at the end of his contract since his lease with the Neroverdi will end in June 2025 but the option for this last year may not be activated. The Emilia-Romagna club’s project seems to be gradually running out of steam after great campaigns around the European places. The native of Abbadia San Salvatore finds himself in a situation similar to that of Juric at Torino, but with greater gravity since the Neroverdi are in 15th position in the Serie A ranking. Beyond the Motta-Italiano-Palladino trio which could win the big prizes, Ivan Juric and Alessio Dionisi are also names who could well continue their explosion under more golden spotlights.
The big names available
Motta, Italiano, Palladino, Juric, Dionisi… In Italy, these young coaches previously mentioned in this article have a resolutely offensive philosophy and are thus considered apostles of “La Scuola Gasperini”, named after the Atalanta coach who has significantly influenced the current generation of promising young coaches. Moreover, Gian Piero Gasperini is also at the end of his contract on June 30. More experienced than his aforementioned students, the 66-year-old coach is not guaranteed to extend his adventure with the Dea, while several standoffs have taken place with his management since last summer, as we revealed to you in exclusive at Christmas. The negotiations are still on standby and the Bergamo management had even already listed the first names on its short list. In recent years, Gian Piero Gasperini had already attracted glorious sirens, particularly in Italy, with Juventus who often came knocking at his door. In the same type of CV, Maurizio Sarri is on an ejection seat at Lazio, just like Stefano Pioli at AC Milan. It is quite possible that these two experienced names will attract new European management. The number of major Italian clubs which will be active this summer for a probable change of technical staff is significant: AC Milan, Naples but perhaps also Juventus depending on the desires of the new Turin management vis-à-vis Massimiliano Allegriwho could therefore also be available if he were to shake hands with the Old Lady.
But another aspect of the Italian market will also be interesting to observe. Since at the moment, two big names are already available. Since leaving England, Antonio Conte takes the time to recharge his batteries with his loved ones in Italy but is not insensitive to calls from Serie A. He has also met the Neapolitan president, Aurelio De Laurentiis, on several occasions. But wanting full powers, the Italian coach expects a big club with multiple challenges. The Italian press is talking about AC Milan as the most likely destination for Conte. The American management of the Rossoneri, led by advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic, have made the former coach of Inter and Juventus an absolute priority to take over from Stefano Pioli after this season. In the other available profiles, Igor Tudor, who almost found a bench in Naples, is still waiting for a challenge. The Croatian coach is highly rated in Serie A and should have no trouble receiving several calls during the summer. And finally, there are plenty of other attractive little names that could also attract curious clubs looking for a concrete gaming project like Paolo Zanetti who had shown great things with Venezia and Empoli, but also Gabriele Cioffi and Eusebio Di Francesco. We will also have to monitor the situation of Daniele De Rossi at AS Roma.
