Carmelo Di Bella
Encyclopedia
Carmelo Di Bella was an Italian
football
player and manager. Di Bella spent the vast majority of his career in Sicily
where he was a prominent figure in the footballing scene, especially in relation to the island's most successful clubs; Catania
and Palermo
.
. From 1941 he played for Juventina Palermo, then renamed to Palermo
in 1946. He also played a Serie A season with the rosanero, making nine appearances and scoring a goal in 1948/1949. He retired from playing football in 1954, after two seasons as player/manager for minor team Akragas
from Agrigento
.
, Di Bella was appointed as Catania
's youth team coach in 1957. In 1958/1959, with just twelve matches remaining, Di Bella was called to replace Blagoje Marjanović
with the goal to save the club from relegation to Serie C
, with the initial support of technical director Felice Borel
. Di Bella ended the season with a sixteenth place which allowed Catania to avoid relegation, and he was consequently confirmed at the helm of Catania. Di Bella coached Catania till 1966, when he resigned from his office, obtaining a Serie A
promotion in 1960 and leading the Sicilian club to the Italian top division until his resignations. Di Bella then signed for Catanzaro
, narrowly missing promotion to Serie A. In 1967 he became head coach of Palermo, where he immediately won Serie B
bringing the rosanero back to Serie A. He left Palermo in 1971 to return to Catania, where however did not repeat his previous triumphs with the rossoblù (eighth, then fifth, in Serie B). In 1974 he became coach of Reggiana of Serie B: he avoided relegation in his first season, but not in the second. In 1976/1977 he coached again Catania, but without being able to avoid relegation.
His last coaching effort, in 1981, was as Palermo boss: called to coach the rosanero since the 28th matchday, he helped the club to avoid relegation from Serie B.
Di Bella died in 1992 in Palermo
.
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
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player and manager. Di Bella spent the vast majority of his career in Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
where he was a prominent figure in the footballing scene, especially in relation to the island's most successful clubs; Catania
Calcio Catania
Calcio Catania is an Italian football club founded in 1908 and based in Catania, Sicily. The club has spent much of its history in Serie B, gaining promotion to Italy's top league Serie A five times...
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...
.
Playing career
Di Bella, a left wing, started his professional career for his native city team CataniaCalcio Catania
Calcio Catania is an Italian football club founded in 1908 and based in Catania, Sicily. The club has spent much of its history in Serie B, gaining promotion to Italy's top league Serie A five times...
. From 1941 he played for Juventina Palermo, then renamed to 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...
in 1946. He also played a Serie A season with the rosanero, making nine appearances and scoring a goal in 1948/1949. He retired from playing football in 1954, after two seasons as player/manager for minor team Akragas
A.S.D. Akragas Calcio
Akragas Calcio, commonly referred to as simply Akragas, is an Italian association football club based in Agrigento, Sicily; the club was founded in 1939...
from Agrigento
Agrigento
Agrigento , is a city on the southern coast of Sicily, Italy, and capital of the province of Agrigento. It is renowned as the site of the ancient Greek city of Akragas , one of the leading cities of Magna Graecia during the golden...
.
Managing career
After two seasons as coach of minor team Termitana from Termini ImereseTermini Imerese
Termini Imerese is a town and comune in the province of Palermo on the northern coast of Sicily, southern Italy.-Ancient:The site where the town now sits has been populated since prehistoric times, as many archeologial excavations have shown through the years...
, Di Bella was appointed as Catania
Calcio Catania
Calcio Catania is an Italian football club founded in 1908 and based in Catania, Sicily. The club has spent much of its history in Serie B, gaining promotion to Italy's top league Serie A five times...
's youth team coach in 1957. In 1958/1959, with just twelve matches remaining, Di Bella was called to replace Blagoje Marjanović
Blagoje Marjanovic
Blagoje "Moša" Marjanović was a Serbian football forward who played for Yugoslavia at FIFA World Cup 1930. He scored one goal in that tournament in the game versus Bolivia . During the tournament his club was BSK....
with the goal to save the club from relegation to 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...
, with the initial support of technical director Felice Borel
Felice Borel
Felice Placido Borel was an Italian football player who played as a striker.His older brother Aldo Borel played football professionally, spending 10 seasons in the Serie A, and their father Ernesto Borel played for OGC Nice, AS Cannes and Juventus F.C. in the 1900s and 1910s...
. Di Bella ended the season with a sixteenth place which allowed Catania to avoid relegation, and he was consequently confirmed at the helm of Catania. Di Bella coached Catania till 1966, when he resigned from his office, obtaining a 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...
promotion in 1960 and leading the Sicilian club to the Italian top division until his resignations. Di Bella then signed for Catanzaro
F.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...
, narrowly missing promotion to Serie A. In 1967 he became head coach of Palermo, where he immediately won 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...
bringing the rosanero back to Serie A. He left Palermo in 1971 to return to Catania, where however did not repeat his previous triumphs with the rossoblù (eighth, then fifth, in Serie B). In 1974 he became coach of Reggiana of Serie B: he avoided relegation in his first season, but not in the second. In 1976/1977 he coached again Catania, but without being able to avoid relegation.
His last coaching effort, in 1981, was as Palermo boss: called to coach the rosanero since the 28th matchday, he helped the club to avoid relegation from Serie B.
Di Bella died in 1992 in Palermo
Palermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
.