The waltz of the benches is not over yet: Lazio are thinking of Sarri or Villas Boas. It will be the coaches’ championship
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Honors and burdens for a privileged job that can be very stressful. It is that of the top club coaches, paid in gold, but often not even a prestigious victory is enough to continue their work. The last two Italian championships were not enough for Sarri and Conte, for different reasons, to continue the adventure with Juve and Inter. But abroad is no better: Flick won with Bayern but was replaced by the predestined Nagelsmann (and to console himself he will lead the national team), Galtier led Lille to unseat Mbappè and Neymar’s PSG and then he left, it will probably end up at Nice. But this year in Serie A, in the season that should lead Italy out of the covid nightmare, there is something more: the malaise, the dissatisfaction of the clubs, the economic problems are creating a revolution in the benches.
Eight coaches of the top ten in the standings change (Pioli and Gasperini seem to be survivors), in Germany seven of the top eight, in Spain Real and Barcelona. Never before has such an exodus happened in Italy which also affects managers (Paratici away from Juve) and players (Donnarumma who leaves Milan). But it is the quality of the coaches who arrive that demonstrates the vitality of Italian football: for a Count who leaves with a rich severance pay, two big names like Allegri and Spalletti return after a long overpaid break.
After 11 years, the guru of the benches, Mourinho, reappears from abroad, called to revitalize a depressed square like Roma Giallorossi. But the first pawns moved caused an unpredictable earthquake: Gattuso from Napoli to Fiorentina, Juric from Verona to Turin and above all Simone Inzaghi, who in the evening made an agreement with Lotito and the next morning went to Inter doubling his salary with the prospect of the Champions. In summary, there are three sure confirmations (Pioli, Gasperini and Semplici) and one probable (Ballardini), plus two newly promoted ones (Castori alla Salernitana and Dionisi all’Empoli). There are six new coaches (Gattuso, Inzaghi, Allegri, Spalletti, Mourinho and Juric), five to be decided (Lazio, Sampdoria, Sassuolo, Udinese and Verona). The situation in Bologna, Spezia and Venice must be deciphered if Mihajlovic, Italiano and Zanetti fill in one of the empty boxes. Lazio thinks of Sarri, Villas Boas or Espirito Santo but it is more likely the engagement of Mihajlovic, with Bologna that would turn to Ranieri or Mazzarri (but there is the suggestion De Rossi that Sabatini is thinking about). Sassuolo is spoiled for choice between Fonseca, Pirlo, and Italian, Sampdoria can orient themselves on Giampaolo’s return, Udinese has the Zanetti idea, Verona thinks of Italian. –