Carlo Mazzone
Encyclopedia
Carlo "Carletto" Mazzone (born March 19, 1937 in Rome
) is an Italian
football manager.
A former centre back
who played several seasons for his beloved team, AS Roma
, other than Spal
and Ascoli
, where he played for nine season, Mazzone left the playing career in season 1968-1969, to become the manager of Ascoli itself, in Serie C
.
Already popular because of his playing history for the team, Mazzone gained even more popularity by leading the team for twelve years, up to the first Serie A
appearance in the team history. Successively, Mazzone coached several Serie A and Serie B
teams, such as Fiorentina
(his personal best result, third-placed in 1976/1977), Catanzaro, Bologna F.C. 1909
, Lecce
, Pescara
and Cagliari
, that he led to the first appearance in a European competition since the Riva's times.
After his successes at Cagliari, Mazzone fulfilled his dream, being called to coach AS Roma for the season 1993/1994. He remained at the helm of AS Roma for three season, however without being able to obtain any notable triumph.
He then went back to Cagliari, then coached Napoli
, Bologna again, Perugia
, and Brescia
, where he had the opportunity to have Roberto Baggio
among his players. Mazzone was at the centre of controversy when, on September 30, 2001, during a league match against team rivals Atalanta
, after his team tied the score in the final minutes, he ran for about 70 meters and screamed towards the Atalanta supporters, guilty of having offended him for all the match long with personal insults.
Mazzone left Brescia in 2003 in order to coach Bologna for the third time on his long career. However, his adventure lasted only two season, as the team was surprisingly relegated in Serie B
at the end of the 2004/2005 season. It was the first relegation ever in Mazzone's career, and it convinced him to take a break for a while.
However, on February 7, 2006, at the age of 68 years and 11 months, Mazzone accepted an offer of Livorno
for filling the coaching office left vacant by Roberto Donadoni
, who resigned the day before. He left the job at the end of the season.
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
) is an Italian
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.
A former centre back
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
who played several seasons for his beloved team, AS Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
, other than Spal
Spal 1907
SPAL 1907 is an Italian football club, based in Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna. The club was founded in 1907 as Società Polisportiva Ars et Labor and was refounded in 2005....
and Ascoli
Ascoli Calcio 1898
Ascoli Calcio 1898 is an Italian football club based in Ascoli Piceno, Marche. The club was formed in 1898 and currently plays in Italian Serie B, having returned to it after two seasons spent in Serie A...
, where he played for nine season, Mazzone left the playing career in season 1968-1969, to become the manager of Ascoli itself, in Serie C
Serie C
The Lega Italiana Calcio Professionistico , commonly known as Lega Pro , is the governing body that runs the third and fourth highest football divisions in Italy, the Prima Divisione and Seconda Divisione respectively. It also includes the sole professional club of San Marino...
.
Already popular because of his playing history for the team, Mazzone gained even more popularity by leading the team for twelve years, up to the first 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...
appearance in the team history. Successively, Mazzone coached several Serie A 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 Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football club from Florence, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A...
(his personal best result, third-placed in 1976/1977), Catanzaro, Bologna F.C. 1909
Bologna F.C. 1909
Bologna Football Club 1909, known simply as Bologna, is an Italian Football League club based in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, formed in 1993. The club are nicknamed the rossoblù because of the red and blue striped shirts they wear. Red and Blue are the official colours of the town.During its history...
, Lecce
U.S. Lecce
Unione Sportiva Lecce or simply U.S. Lecce is an Italian football club based in Lecce, Apulia who play in the Italian Serie A. After being crowned Serie B champions in 2009–10, the team successfully managed to avoid relegation in 2010-11....
, Pescara
Pescara Calcio
Delfino Pescara 1936 is an Italian football club based in Pescara, Abruzzo.The club was formed in 1936 and currently plays in Italian Serie B. Pescara has competed in 5 seasons in Serie A...
and Cagliari
Cagliari Calcio
Cagliari Calcio is an Italian football club based in Cagliari, Sardinia. The club was formed in 1920 and currently plays in Italian Serie A, having spent a large part of recent years mainly in Serie A and Serie B....
, that he led to the first appearance in a European competition since the Riva's times.
After his successes at Cagliari, Mazzone fulfilled his dream, being called to coach AS Roma for the season 1993/1994. He remained at the helm of AS Roma for three season, however without being able to obtain any notable triumph.
He then went back to Cagliari, then coached Napoli
S.S.C. Napoli
Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli, commonly referred to as Napoli, is a professional Italian football club based in Naples and founded in 1926. The club has spent most of its history in Serie A, where it currently plays its 2011–12 season....
, Bologna again, Perugia
Perugia Calcio
Associazione Calcistica Perugia Calcio is an Italian association football club based in Perugia, Umbria, direct heir of the old Perugia Calcio and A.C. Perugia, excluded from Italian football because of financial troubles....
, and Brescia
Brescia Calcio
Brescia Calcio , known simply as Brescia, is the largest football club in the Lombard city of Brescia, where it was founded in 1911.In the 2009–10 season, in the return leg of the Serie B playoff final, they defeated Torino 2-1 at home , returning to Serie A after a 5-year absence...
, where he had the opportunity to have Roberto Baggio
Roberto Baggio
Roberto Baggio is a retired Italian footballer. Widely regarded as one of the finest footballers of his generation, Baggio won both the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year in 1993. He is the only Italian player ever to score in three World Cups. He is also one of the top 5 all-time...
among his players. Mazzone was at the centre of controversy when, on September 30, 2001, during a league match against team rivals Atalanta
Atalanta B.C.
Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio, commonly known as just Atalanta, Atalanta Bergamo or the abbreviation Atalanta BC, is an Italian football club based in Bergamo, Lombardy.They are nicknamed the Nerazzurri and the orobici...
, after his team tied the score in the final minutes, he ran for about 70 meters and screamed towards the Atalanta supporters, guilty of having offended him for all the match long with personal insults.
Mazzone left Brescia in 2003 in order to coach Bologna for the third time on his long career. However, his adventure lasted only two season, as the team was surprisingly relegated in 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...
at the end of the 2004/2005 season. It was the first relegation ever in Mazzone's career, and it convinced him to take a break for a while.
However, on February 7, 2006, at the age of 68 years and 11 months, Mazzone accepted an offer of Livorno
A.S. Livorno Calcio
Associazione Sportiva Livorno Calcio is an Italian football club based in Livorno, Tuscany. The club was formed in 1915 and currently plays in Italian Serie B. The team's colors are dark red or maroon...
for filling the coaching office left vacant by Roberto Donadoni
Roberto Donadoni
Roberto Donadoni is an Italian football manager and former player, last in charge of Serie A club Cagliari.An attacking midfielder or winger known for pace and technique, he was a pillar of the powerhouse AC Milan teams of the late 1980s and early 1990s and one of the pioneers of Major League...
, who resigned the day before. He left the job at the end of the season.
Trivia
- Mazzone is the most experienced coach in the Italian football panorama, having coached on more than 1,000 professional matches. On March 18, 2006, Mazzone has become the Italian manager who coached the highest number of Serie A matches ever, equalling and then overcoming the past record held by Nereo RoccoNereo RoccoNereo Rocco was an Italian football player and manager. He is famous for having been one of the most successful head coaches in Italy, and the first proponent of catenaccio in the country.-Playing career:...
.
- Roberto Baggio often defined several times Mazzone as one of the best coaches he met in his playing career. Baggio himself, in a radio interview on February 18, 2006, declared that Mazzone asked him to join him in a playing football comeback in Livorno; however, Baggio claimed that, even if he would have given him an affirmative answer because of his gratitude for what Mazzone did for him, he was forced to refuse because of his physical troubles.
- He is often nicknamed Sor Carletto because of his Roman origins, and the strong accent typical of the inhabitants of the Italian capital city.
- Despite having coached around the whole country for 35 years and more, Mazzone has always held his residence in Ascoli PicenoAscoli PicenoAscoli Piceno is a town and comune in the Marche region of Italy, capital of the province of the same name. Its population is c. 51,400.-Geography:...
, home of Ascoli Calcio, the team in which he started his long managing career.