Delio Rossi
Encyclopedia
Delio Rossi is an Italian
association football manager, currently managing Fiorentina
.
with U.S. Foggia
, where he spent most of his footballing time. He retired in 1989, after a season played with Fidelis Andria
of Serie C2
.
graduate with honours, took his first coaching job in 1990, aged 29, at Torremaggiore, of Promozione
league, immediately winning the championship. The next year he joined Foggia
as youth coach. In 1993, Rossi signed for Salernitana
of Serie C1
, and led the team to a Serie B
promotion. After an unlucky comeback to Foggia, and a sixth place in Pescara
, Rossi returned to coach Salernitana in 1997, leading the team to its second Serie A
promotion in history. Rossi guided the team in Serie A too, but was fired in March 1999, as he was unable to lead Salernitana out of the relegation positions.
and a poor comeback to Pescara were followed by three seasons with Lecce
. Rossi, appointed as Lecce's coach in February 2002, was not able to avoid relegation to Serie B, but led the team back to Serie A just the next season, and maintained a place in the division the next year. He left Lecce in 2004 to be replaced by his maestro Zdenek Zeman
, who was head coach at Foggia during Rossi's times in leading its youth team.
In December 2004, Rossi replaced Andrea Mandorlini
at the helm of Atalanta B.C.
, last-placed in Serie A. Despite all his efforts and numerous praises, Rossi was not able to let his team escape from relegation.
, who appointed him as replacement for Giuseppe Papadopulo
.
His time at Lazio has been a remarkable success for which he has aroused interest from many top Serie A clubs. Rossi guided Lazio to a surprising UEFA Cup place in the 2005–2006 season, only for the place to be lost as part of the Calciopoli scandal that rocked the country in the summer of 2006. Even more remarkable, however, was Rossi's feat the following season. Despite an initial 11-point points deduction (which was subsequently reduced to 3 on appeal), Rossi guided the biancocelesti to an unlikely third place Serie A finish and a place in the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League. However during the 2007–08 season, he led Lazio to a disappointing 12th place finish.
On May 13, 2009 Rossi led Lazio
to their first trophy since the Coppa Italia
triumph in 2004. It was also a Coppa Italia
victory, which came after a successful penalty shootout against Sampdoria
. On June 8, 2009, Delio Rossi was announced to have left Lazio because of personal reasons allegedly linked to an unstable working relationship with chairman Claudio Lotito
. He was replaced by Davide Ballardini
.
, replacing Walter Zenga
at the helm of the rosanero. He immediately managed to turn the fortunes of Palermo, guiding the Sicilians to quickly rise up the Serie A league table also thanks to surprise results such as two 2–0 away win against teams such as AC Milan
and Juventus
, and ending the season in fifth place with only one point behind fourth-placed Sampdoria
who were admitted to the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round at the rosaneros expense. He was consequently confirmed as head coach of Palermo for the 2010–11 season, during which he also guided the club in its 2010–11 UEFA Europa League campaign. Impressive results in the new season included another impressive win at Juventus' home, as well as his abilities in launching youngsters as Javier Pastore
, Ezequiel Muñoz
, Josip Iličić
and Armin Bačinović
.
Rossi was sacked on 28 February 2011 by club president Maurizio Zamparini
following a record 0-7 home loss to Udinese
; he was replaced by Serse Cosmi
. However, Rossi returned back at Palermo only four weeks later, after Cosmi's Palermo side was soundly defeated by Catania
in the Sicilian derby
later on 3 April. Following a surprising comeback, he led the club to the Coppa Italia final
which the 3-1 defeat by Internazionale. During the pre-season, on 1 June 2011, Rossi resigned as Palermo manager by mutual consent with president Zamparini.
, replacing Siniša Mihajlović
, dismissed because of poor results. Rossi's debut match as Fiorentina boss ended in a 0–0 home draw against incumbent champions Milan
.
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...
association football manager, currently managing 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...
.
Playing career
Rossi's playing career was not a bright one, as he reached his personal top from 1981 to 1983, playing Serie BSerie 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...
with U.S. Foggia
U.S. Foggia
Unione Sportiva Foggia is an Italian football club, based in Foggia, Puglia. The club was founded in 1920. Foggia currently plays in Lega Pro Prima Divisione, having last been in Serie A in 1995....
, where he spent most of his footballing time. He retired in 1989, after a season played with Fidelis Andria
A.S. Andria BAT
Associazione Sportiva Andria BAT or simply A.S. Andria is an Italian football club, based in Andria, Apulia.The team currently plays in Lega Pro Prima Divisione.The team's colors are blue and white.- Fidelis Andria :...
of 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...
.
Early years and Serie A debut with Salernitana
Rossi, a sports scienceSports science
Sport science is a discipline that studies the application of scientific principles and techniques with the aim of improving sporting performance...
graduate with honours, took his first coaching job in 1990, aged 29, at Torremaggiore, of Promozione
Promozione
Promozione is the name of a level of football in Italy. It is considered to be the 7th level in the Italian football league system. Each individual league winner within the Promozione level progresses to their closest regional league in the Eccellenza level...
league, immediately winning the championship. The next year he joined Foggia
U.S. Foggia
Unione Sportiva Foggia is an Italian football club, based in Foggia, Puglia. The club was founded in 1920. Foggia currently plays in Lega Pro Prima Divisione, having last been in Serie A in 1995....
as youth coach. In 1993, Rossi signed for Salernitana
Salernitana Calcio 1919
Salerno Calcio, or simply Salerno is an Italian association football club from Salerno, Campania.The club is not the legitimate heir of the former Salernitana Calcio 1919, but there is however a sports continuity between the two companies thanks to Article 52 NOIF of FIGC, and the fact that they...
of 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....
, and led the team to a 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...
promotion. After an unlucky comeback to Foggia, and a sixth place in 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...
, Rossi returned to coach Salernitana in 1997, leading the team to its second 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 history. Rossi guided the team in Serie A too, but was fired in March 1999, as he was unable to lead Salernitana out of the relegation positions.
Minor teams in Serie A and Serie B
A troubled year in GenoaGenoa 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...
and a poor comeback to Pescara were followed by three seasons with 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....
. Rossi, appointed as Lecce's coach in February 2002, was not able to avoid relegation to Serie B, but led the team back to Serie A just the next season, and maintained a place in the division the next year. He left Lecce in 2004 to be replaced by his maestro Zdenek Zeman
Zdenek Zeman
Zdeněk Zeman is a Czech-Italian football coach. He has managed numerous different teams, mostly in Italian football, over the years, and is currently in charge of Serie B club Pescara.-Biography:...
, who was head coach at Foggia during Rossi's times in leading its youth team.
In December 2004, Rossi replaced Andrea Mandorlini
Andrea Mandorlini
Andrea Mandorlini is an Italian football manager and former defender, currently in charge as head coach of Verona.-Playing career:...
at the helm of Atalanta B.C.
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...
, last-placed in Serie A. Despite all his efforts and numerous praises, Rossi was not able to let his team escape from relegation.
Lazio
Despite not saving Atalanta, his good efforts at the helm of the Dea club gained interest from LazioS.S. Lazio
Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football...
, who appointed him as replacement for Giuseppe Papadopulo
Giuseppe Papadopulo
Giuseppe Papadopulo is an Italian football manager and former player, last in charge as head coach of Torino.-Career:...
.
His time at Lazio has been a remarkable success for which he has aroused interest from many top Serie A clubs. Rossi guided Lazio to a surprising UEFA Cup place in the 2005–2006 season, only for the place to be lost as part of the Calciopoli scandal that rocked the country in the summer of 2006. Even more remarkable, however, was Rossi's feat the following season. Despite an initial 11-point points deduction (which was subsequently reduced to 3 on appeal), Rossi guided the biancocelesti to an unlikely third place Serie A finish and a place in the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League. However during the 2007–08 season, he led Lazio to a disappointing 12th place finish.
On May 13, 2009 Rossi led Lazio
S.S. Lazio
Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football...
to their first trophy since the Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia
The Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
triumph in 2004. It was also a Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia
The Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
victory, which came after a successful penalty shootout against Sampdoria
U.C. Sampdoria
Unione Calcio Sampdoria is an Italian association football club based in Genoa. The club was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the 1890s, Sampierdarenese and Andrea Doria...
. On June 8, 2009, Delio Rossi was announced to have left Lazio because of personal reasons allegedly linked to an unstable working relationship with chairman Claudio Lotito
Claudio Lotito
Claudio Lotito is an Italian entrepreneur. He is the owner and president of the Serie A football club S.S. Lazio since 2004....
. He was replaced by Davide Ballardini
Davide Ballardini
Davide Ballardini is an Italian association football manager who is currently the head coach at Serie A club Cagliari...
.
Palermo
On November 23, 2009 Rossi returned into management as new head coach of PalermoU.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...
, replacing Walter Zenga
Walter Zenga
Walter Zenga is a retired Italian footballer and current manager. He is a long-time goalkeeper for the Italian national team and Internazionale. He also holds Romanian citizenship...
at the helm of the rosanero. He immediately managed to turn the fortunes of Palermo, guiding the Sicilians to quickly rise up the Serie A league table also thanks to surprise results such as two 2–0 away win against teams such as AC Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
and Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
, and ending the season in fifth place with only one point behind fourth-placed Sampdoria
U.C. Sampdoria
Unione Calcio Sampdoria is an Italian association football club based in Genoa. The club was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the 1890s, Sampierdarenese and Andrea Doria...
who were admitted to the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round at the rosaneros expense. He was consequently confirmed as head coach of Palermo for the 2010–11 season, during which he also guided the club in its 2010–11 UEFA Europa League campaign. Impressive results in the new season included another impressive win at Juventus' home, as well as his abilities in launching youngsters as Javier Pastore
Javier Pastore
Javier Matías Pastore is an Argentine footballer who currently plays for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the Argentina national football team as an attacking midfielder....
, Ezequiel Muñoz
Ezequiel Muñoz
Ezequiel Matías Muñoz is an Argentine footballer who plays as a centre back for Serie A club Palermo.His nickname is Il niño di Pergamino.-Club career:...
, Josip Iličić
Josip Iličič
Josip Iličić is a Slovenian football midfielder, who currently plays for Italian Serie A club Palermo and the Slovenia national team. In Slovenia he is nicknamed Jojo.-Club career:...
and Armin Bačinović
Armin Bačinovič
Armin Bačinovič is a Slovenian football midfielder who currently plays for Palermo and Slovenia national football team.-Club career:...
.
Rossi was sacked on 28 February 2011 by club president Maurizio Zamparini
Maurizio Zamparini
Maurizio Zamparini is an Italian businessman and the current owner and chairman of Serie A club U.S. Città di Palermo....
following a record 0-7 home loss to Udinese
Udinese Calcio
Udinese Calcio is an Italian football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and currently plays in the Serie A. Founded in 1896, Udinese is the second oldest club in the Serie A, after Genoa....
; he was replaced by Serse Cosmi
Serse Cosmi
However, after a disappointing series of results, including elimination in Champions League and results in Serie A much below the expected results, Cosmi was finally fired on February 10, 2006.-Brescia and Livorno:...
. However, Rossi returned back at Palermo only four weeks later, after Cosmi's Palermo side was soundly defeated by 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...
in the Sicilian derby
Sicilian derby
The Derby di Sicilia is a local derby between Italian football clubs Calcio Catania and U.S. Città di Palermo. Catania and Palermo are the two main cities on the island of Sicily, and the teams are fierce rivals...
later on 3 April. Following a surprising comeback, he led the club to the Coppa Italia final
2011 Coppa Italia Final
The 2011 Coppa Italia Final was the final match of the 2010–11 Coppa Italia, the 63rd season of the top cup competition in Italian football. The match was played at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on 29 May 2011 between Internazionale and Palermo. Internazionale won by 3–1 to retain the trophy.-Road to...
which the 3-1 defeat by Internazionale. During the pre-season, on 1 June 2011, Rossi resigned as Palermo manager by mutual consent with president Zamparini.
Fiorentina
On 7 November 2011, Rossi returned into management as new head coach of Serie A club FiorentinaACF 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...
, replacing Siniša Mihajlović
Siniša Mihajlovic
Siniša Mihajlović is a Serbian football manager and former player. He was in charge of Serie A club Fiorentina since June 2010 to November 2011....
, dismissed because of poor results. Rossi's debut match as Fiorentina boss ended in a 0–0 home draw against incumbent champions Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
.