Antonio Soda
Encyclopedia
Antonio Soda is an Italian
football manager
and former striker who last served as head coach of Benevento Calcio
.
, where he played from 1982 to 1988 (except for a one-year stint at Carbonia in 1983–1984).
He then played for several Serie A
and Serie B
teams, such as Bari
and Palermo
. He retired in 1997. Most memorably, he scored on his Serie A debut in Bari's 2-0 home victory against Juventus on November 25, 1990.
team Sanremese
, leading his side to an immediate promotion to Serie C2
in his first season and an impressive sixth place the following season.
In 2005 he was appointed at the helm of then-Serie C1
side Spezia
; Soda immediately managed to win a historical promotion to Serie B
in his first season, winning the Serie C1/A champions after a long battle with Genoa
. In his first Serie B campaign, Soda then led Spezia to escape relegation after winning a dramatic two-legged playoff against Verona
, being then confirmed for the 2007–08 season
. Economic problems however prevented the team from being reinforced, and Spezia
ultimately went relegated to the third tier in 2008, with the club declaring bankruptcy a few weeks after the end of the season and being not admitted into professional football.
These events left Soda without a club until November 2008, when he accepted to replace Aldo Papagni as head coach of Lega Pro Prima Divisione promotion hopefuls Benevento
. He guided the club to second place in the final league table, losing promotion in the playoff finals against Crotone
. He left the club by mutual consent on June 2009.
From 2 February 2011 he is the coach of Poggibonsi
that plays in Lega Pro Seconda Divisione group B.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
football manager
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
and former striker who last served as head coach of Benevento Calcio
Benevento Calcio
Benevento Calcio is an Italian association football club, based in Benevento, Campania. The club was founded in 1929 and refounded in 2005. Currently it plays in Lega Pro Prima Divisione/A.-History:...
.
Playing
Soda started his professional career with CatanzaroF.C. Catanzaro
Catanzaro Calcio 2011 is an Italian football club based in Catanzaro, Calabria.The club were founded in 1929 as Catanzarese, then changed their denomnation to Unione Sportiva Catanzaro in 1946, shortly after the end of the World War II and in 2006 to Football Club Catanzaro...
, where he played from 1982 to 1988 (except for a one-year stint at Carbonia in 1983–1984).
He then played for several Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
and Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
teams, such as Bari
A.S. Bari
Associazione Sportiva Bari is an Italian football club founded in 1908, they are based in Bari, Apulia and plays in Serie B. The club have spent many seasons bouncing between the top two divisions in Italian football, Serie A and Serie B....
and Palermo
U.S. Città di Palermo
Unione Sportiva Città di Palermo is an Italian football club from Palermo, Sicily which currently plays in Serie A, the top level of Italian football. Formed in 1900 as Anglo Panormitan Athletic and Football Club, the club had various names before assuming its final form in 1987 and is currently...
. He retired in 1997. Most memorably, he scored on his Serie A debut in Bari's 2-0 home victory against Juventus on November 25, 1990.
Coaching
In 2003 Soda started his managing career, accepting a head coach job at Serie DSerie D
Serie D is the top level of the Italian non-professional football association called Lega Nazionale Dilettanti. The association represents over a million football players and thousands of football teams across Italy. Serie D ranks just below Lega Pro Seconda Divisione , and is thus considered the...
team Sanremese
U.S. Sanremese Calcio
Unione Sportiva Sanremese Calcio 1904 commonly referred to as U.S. Sanremese Calcio or simply Sanremese is an Italian association football club, based in Sanremo, Liguria.The team in season 2010-11 plays in Lega Pro Seconda Divisione group A....
, leading his side to an immediate promotion to Serie C2
Serie C2
Lega Pro Seconda Divisione is the name of the fourth highest football league in Italy, the lowest with a professional status. Usually it consists of 54 teams, but in the season 2010–11 the teams are only 49 divided geographically into three divisions of 17, 16 and 16 teams each...
in his first season and an impressive sixth place the following season.
In 2005 he was appointed at the helm of then-Serie C1
Serie C1
Lega Pro Prima Divisione is the name of the third highest football league in Italy. It consists of 36 teams, divided geographically into two divisions of 18 teams each. Until 2008 it was known as Serie C1....
side Spezia
Spezia Calcio 1906
Spezia Calcio 1906 is an Italian football club, based in La Spezia, Liguria. Founded in 1906, the team's colors are black and white. The club's home ground is Stadio Alberto Picco.-1944 scudetto:...
; Soda immediately managed to win a historical promotion to Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
in his first season, winning the Serie C1/A champions after a long battle with Genoa
Genoa C.F.C.
Genoa Cricket and Football Club, commonly referred to simply as Genoa , is a professional Italian football club based in the city of Genoa, Liguria...
. In his first Serie B campaign, Soda then led Spezia to escape relegation after winning a dramatic two-legged playoff against Verona
Hellas Verona F.C.
Hellas Verona Football Club is a professional Italian association football team, based in Verona, Veneto. The team's colours are yellow and blue and gialloblu is the team's most widely used nickname...
, being then confirmed for the 2007–08 season
Serie B 2007-08
The 2007-08 Serie B regular season is the seventy-sixth since its establishment. It started on August 25, 2007, and ended with the promotion playoff final on June 15, 2008....
. Economic problems however prevented the team from being reinforced, and Spezia
Spezia Calcio 1906
Spezia Calcio 1906 is an Italian football club, based in La Spezia, Liguria. Founded in 1906, the team's colors are black and white. The club's home ground is Stadio Alberto Picco.-1944 scudetto:...
ultimately went relegated to the third tier in 2008, with the club declaring bankruptcy a few weeks after the end of the season and being not admitted into professional football.
These events left Soda without a club until November 2008, when he accepted to replace Aldo Papagni as head coach of Lega Pro Prima Divisione promotion hopefuls Benevento
Benevento Calcio
Benevento Calcio is an Italian association football club, based in Benevento, Campania. The club was founded in 1929 and refounded in 2005. Currently it plays in Lega Pro Prima Divisione/A.-History:...
. He guided the club to second place in the final league table, losing promotion in the playoff finals against Crotone
F.C. Crotone
Football Club Crotone is an Italian football club based in Crotone, Calabria. Founded in 1923, it currently plays in Serie B, holding home games at Stadio Ezio Scida, which has a 9,631-seat capacity.-History:...
. He left the club by mutual consent on June 2009.
From 2 February 2011 he is the coach of Poggibonsi
U.S. Poggibonsi
Unione Sportiva Poggibonsi is an Italian association football club located in Poggibonsi, Tuscany. It currently plays in Lega Pro Seconda Divisione....
that plays in Lega Pro Seconda Divisione group B.