Ivano Bonetti
Encyclopedia
Ivano Bonetti is an Italian
football manager and former player. His father Aldo played for Brescia
until the Second World War, brother Mario played for Atalanta
and brother Dario
played over 100 games for Roma
and won two caps for Italy.
He is the current director of football of Lega Pro Prima Divisione club A.S. Pescina Valle del Giovenco
.
in 1995, it brought massive national attention to the club and he became an instant fans' favourite. The loyalty of the fans was tested when it was announced that £100,000 was needed to hire Bonetti from the American management company that held the rights to his "services and image"; this was raised by £50,000 from the fans and £50,000 from Bonetti himself, further increasing his appeal. Grimsby, under FIFA
regulations, were not allowed to deal with the company and probably could not have afforded the money anyway.
The love affair was completed when he scored the winning goal against West Brom
, then managed by former Grimsby boss Alan Buckley
and featuring several former Grimsby players.
led to the departure of Bonetti from Blundell Park
. Just a month before Grimsby had beaten them 7-1 in the FA Cup
third round. Apparently Brian Laws
, angry after the defeat, threw a plate of chicken wings at Bonetti, who he felt did not try hard enough, leaving him with a fractured cheekbone.
At the end of the season Bonetti left for Tranmere on a free transfer, Laws lasted until November of the next season. At the start of season 1997 - 98 Bonetti turned up at Crystal Palace
shortly before returning to Italy to join Genoa
.
, enjoyed a stint as manager of Dundee
in Scotland
, replacing Jocky Scott
. During his first season at Dundee, he signed in several foreign players such as Fabián Caballero
, Georgi Nemsadze
and, most notably, Argentine superstar Claudio Caniggia
, the latter being signed by Rangers
only one year later following an impressive season with the club. Despite this, he made only a sixth place in his first season
, but was however publicly backed by the club. Further top signings such as Temuri Ketsbaia
, Zurab Khizanishvili
and Fan Zhiyi
failed to make an improvement to the team results, and Dundee ended the 2001-02 season
in a disappointing ninth place. He was sacked on July 2, 2002 by the club management. A few months later he claimed back £800,000 from Dundee, declaring he had loaned the money to his former club in order to perform the signing of Fabián Caballero.
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 and former player. His father Aldo played for 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...
until the Second World War, brother Mario played for 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...
and brother Dario
Dario Bonetti
Dario Bonetti is an Italian football manager and former defender. He is the elder brother of Ivano Bonetti.-Playing career:Bonetti made his professional debut in the 1978-79 season with Brescia...
played over 100 games for 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...
and won two caps for Italy.
He is the current director of football of Lega Pro Prima Divisione club A.S. Pescina Valle del Giovenco
A.S. Pescina Valle del Giovenco
A.S. Pescina Valle del Giovenco, commonly referred to as simply Valle del Giovenco, was an Italian association football club based in Pescina, Abruzzo, that was founded in 2005...
.
Initial impact
When Bonetti signed for Grimsby TownGrimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
in 1995, it brought massive national attention to the club and he became an instant fans' favourite. The loyalty of the fans was tested when it was announced that £100,000 was needed to hire Bonetti from the American management company that held the rights to his "services and image"; this was raised by £50,000 from the fans and £50,000 from Bonetti himself, further increasing his appeal. Grimsby, under FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
regulations, were not allowed to deal with the company and probably could not have afforded the money anyway.
The love affair was completed when he scored the winning goal against West Brom
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
, then managed by former Grimsby boss Alan Buckley
Alan Buckley
Alan Peter Buckley is an English football manager. He was manager of League Two side Grimsby Town until his dismissal in September 2008...
and featuring several former Grimsby players.
The "plate of chicken" incident
On 10 February 1996, an incident after a 3-2 defeat away to Luton TownLuton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
led to the departure of Bonetti from Blundell Park
Blundell Park
Blundell Park is a football ground in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, England and home to Grimsby Town Football Club. The stadium was built in 1898, but only one of the original stands remain. The current capacity of the ground is 9546, though with the introduction of all seating in the late...
. Just a month before Grimsby had beaten them 7-1 in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
third round. Apparently Brian Laws
Brian Laws
Brian Laws is an English former footballer and manager, most recently of Burnley.Playing as a defender, Laws made over 100 appearances for each of Burnley, Middlesbrough, and Nottingham Forest. In 1994, Laws became player-manager of Grimsby Town before taking a similar position with Scunthorpe...
, angry after the defeat, threw a plate of chicken wings at Bonetti, who he felt did not try hard enough, leaving him with a fractured cheekbone.
At the end of the season Bonetti left for Tranmere on a free transfer, Laws lasted until November of the next season. At the start of season 1997 - 98 Bonetti turned up at Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
shortly before returning to Italy to join 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...
.
Legacy
In 1998, a consortium looking to take over Grimsby Town were planning to install Bonetti as manager, though this later fell through.Dundee FC
Ivano, along with brother DarioDario Bonetti
Dario Bonetti is an Italian football manager and former defender. He is the elder brother of Ivano Bonetti.-Playing career:Bonetti made his professional debut in the 1978-79 season with Brescia...
, enjoyed a stint as manager of Dundee
Dundee F.C.
Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, replacing Jocky Scott
Jocky Scott
John Alexander Scott is a Scottish football coach and former player probably best known for his playing career, and three managerial spells with Dundee. Scott is currently the manager of Scottish Football League club Stirling Albion.- Club career :Scott played for Scotland, Dundee and Aberdeen...
. During his first season at Dundee, he signed in several foreign players such as Fabián Caballero
Fabián Caballero
Fabián Caballero is an Argentine footballer who currently plays for Guatemalan league champions C.S.D. Municipal.-Career:Born in Misiones, Caballero started his career at Cerro Porteño, before moving on loan to Arsenal in October 1998...
, Georgi Nemsadze
Georgi Nemsadze
Georgi Nemsadze is a former Georgian football midfielder. In addition to Georgian teams, he played for many European clubs such as Trabzonspor, Grasshopper-Club Zürich, AC Reggiana and Dundee....
and, most notably, Argentine superstar Claudio Caniggia
Claudio Caniggia
Claudio Paul Caniggia is a former Argentine football forward, who played 50 times for the Argentine national team. He appeared in three World Cups, and was a member of both rival clubs River Plate and Boca Juniors. Caniggia was known for his speed as a player and competed in Athletics before his...
, the latter being signed by Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
only one year later following an impressive season with the club. Despite this, he made only a sixth place in his first season
Scottish Premier League 2000-01
The 2000–01 Scottish Premier League was the third season of the Scottish Premier League. It began in on 29 July 2000.Celtic finished the season as league champions by a 15-point margin over neighbouring Rangers, also winning both of the domestic cups in their first season under the management...
, but was however publicly backed by the club. Further top signings such as Temuri Ketsbaia
Temuri Ketsbaia
Temuri "Temur" Ketsbaia is a Georgian football manager and former player. As a player he represented the Georgian national team and played for Dinamo Tbilisi, Anorthosis Famagusta, AEK, Newcastle United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Dundee.Ketsbaia is often regarded as having played a major role...
, Zurab Khizanishvili
Zurab Khizanishvili
Zurab Khizanishvili is a Georgian footballer who plays for Turkish club Kayserispor as a defender.-Early career:Khizanishvili started his career at Dinamo Tbilisi where he remained for just one season, before joining FC Tbilisi to improve his chances of playing regular first team football.In 1999...
and Fan Zhiyi
Fan Zhiyi
Fan Zhiyi is a former professional football player from the People's Republic of China. A folk hero and football icon in his native country he was considered a trailblazer when he moved to English club Crystal Palace to become the first Chinese person to do so. Internationally he would go on to...
failed to make an improvement to the team results, and Dundee ended the 2001-02 season
Scottish Premier League 2001-02
The 2001–02 Scottish Premier League was won by Celtic.As league champions, Celtic qualified for the UEFA Champions League. Runners-up Rangers and third-placed Livingston qualified for the UEFA Cup, as did fourth-placed Aberdeen, who took the final UEFA Cup place due to Rangers beating Celtic...
in a disappointing ninth place. He was sacked on July 2, 2002 by the club management. A few months later he claimed back £800,000 from Dundee, declaring he had loaned the money to his former club in order to perform the signing of Fabián Caballero.
External links
- Bonetti discovers paradise after Juventus - Ivano signing for Grimsby, Independent, The (London), Dec 2, 1995
- Played for the Town: Ivano Bonetti - Electronic Fishcake player profile
- Bonetti knows wheeling and dealing won't save his neck at Dens Sunday Herald, The, May 14, 2000 Bonetti becomes Dundee manager
- Italian Playing Stats
- Bonetti T-shirts
- The Bonetti years Review of Dundee Management, BBC website