Luciano Spalletti
Encyclopedia
Luciano Spalletti is a retired Italian
footballer and current coach of FC Zenit Saint Petersburg
.
, Province of Florence
, Spalletti played for Serie C
teams such as Entella
, Spezia
, Viareggio
and Empoli
.
, where he led the Tuscan
side to two consecutive promotions from Serie C1 to Serie A. However, it was at Udinese
where he really began to make an impact as a manager. During the 2004–05 season, Spalletti guided Udinese to a sensational fourth-placed finish in Serie A
, exceeding expectations and securing a spot in the Champions League
.
. The capital side had come off a disappointing season, in which four different coaches had spells in charge of the club. Spalletti was offered the task of attempting to bring order to this chaotic side.
After an uninspiring first half of the 2005–06 season, he changed the team's tactics to attacking rather than defensive, but starting playing without any real striker (with an attacking midfielder as striker). On 26 February 2006, Roma broke the Serie A
record for consecutive wins (11) with a 2–0 victory over Lazio
. However, by the end of the season, Roma failed to reach 4th place, therefore failing to qualify for the UEFA Champions League. Spalletti also took Roma into the Coppa Italia
final against Inter during the 2005–06 season but lost. However, Roma qualified for the 2006–07 UEFA Champions League, since Juventus
was relegated and Fiorentina
and AC Milan
received point deductions, all as a result of the Serie A match-fixing scandal.
Spalletti's favoured formation is the 4–2–3–1 system, where he uses 4 defenders, 2 defensive midfielders, 2 wingers (both sides of the 3), 1 attacking midfielder, and 1 striker (Francesco Totti
, another attacking midfielder, or without any real striker). This system proved effective upon its introduction during the 2005–06 season for Roma. As a result, the team climbed the charts from 15th to 5th place by the end of the season. During that time, Roma also went on an 11-match winning streak.
At the end of 2006, Spalletti was elected Serie A Coach of the Year
and, in the following months, led Roma until the Champions League quarter-final after a 2–0 victory over Lyon
at the Stade Gerland
in the first knockout round.
The team, however, succeeded in becoming the first team to defeat Roberto Mancini
's Internazionale
in all competitions that year, emerging with a 1–3 result at the San Siro
, a match that the Nerazzurri had to win to mathematically claim the 2007 Scudetto
against the only credible rival they had in the championship.
Roma would also win the Coppa Italia
against Inter, with an aggregate result of 7–4; a resounding 6–2 in the first leg in Rome and followed by a narrow 2–1 defeat in Milan
. It was the first important trophy in Spalletti's career, who only had won a Coppa Italia di Serie C with Empoli. But he was yet to add another piece of silverware to his cabinet, as Roma would again defeat Inter 0–1 in Milan in the 2007–08 to steal their Supercoppa Italiana
crown.
In the 2007–08 Champions League first knockout round, Spalletti's Roma team became the first Italian team to defeat Real Madrid
over two legs (2–1 in both ties in Rome
and Madrid
) and consequently also became the first European side to record two victories over Real Madrid in their Santiago Bernabéu
home ground. In a repeat of the previous season's quarter final, Roma were again eliminated from the Champions League by eventual winners Manchester United. They did, however, succeed in their defence of the Coppa Italia, once again defeating Scudetto winners Inter in the final — a single match which Roma won 2–1.
In the 2008–09 season, Spalletti faced a very difficult season with Roma. At the end of the season, the team only managed to qualify for the Europa League with a 6th-place position in the league, after a very struggling initial period that left the giallorossi in the bottom half of the league for the first part of the Serie A season.
The new season saw Spalletti struggling with a limited squad, that was weakened further by the sale of Alberto Aquilani
to Liverpool
, and compounded by serious financial problems for the club. Roma started the season by taking part in two 2009–10 UEFA Europa League qualifying rounds, both easily won against Gent (10–2 on aggregate) and Košice
(10–4 on aggregate); however, another poor start in the Serie A 2009–10 season, with two consecutive defeats (2–3 to Genoa
and 1–3, at home, to Juventus
) persuaded Spalletti to resign on September 1, 2009.
on a three-year deal, replacing interim coach Anatoly Davydov. With him, Zenit won the Russian Cup in 2010, after an 11 years absence, and then in November 2010 clinched the 2010 Russian Premier League
.
Zenit St. Petersburg
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...
footballer and current coach of FC Zenit Saint Petersburg
FC Zenit Saint Petersburg
Football Club Zenit is a Russian football club from the city of Saint-Petersburg. Founded in 1925 , the club plays in the Russian Premier League...
.
Playing career
Born in CertaldoCertaldo
Certaldo is a town and comune of Tuscany, Italy, in the province of Florence, located in the middle of Valdelsa. It is about 35 kilometers southwest of the Florence Duomo....
, Province of Florence
Province of Florence
The Province of Florence is a province in the Tuscany region of Italy. It has an area of 3,514 sq. km and a population of 933,860 in 44 comuni....
, Spalletti played for 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...
teams such as Entella
A.C.D. Virtus Entella
Virtus Entella is an Italian association football club, based in Chiavari, Liguria.Entella currently plays in Lega Pro Seconda Divisione.-History:...
, 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:...
, Viareggio
F.C. Esperia Viareggio
Football Club Esperia Viareggio known as Viareggio is an Italian football club located in Viareggio, Tuscany.It currently plays in Lega Pro Prima Divisione.Its colors are white and black.-History:...
and Empoli
Empoli F.C.
Empoli Football Club is an Italian association football club located in Empoli, Tuscany, founded in 1920 and played its first official match in 1921.In recent years, the club has all too often been bouncing between Italy's two top divisions...
.
Early career
Spalletti's early career in management led him to struggling EmpoliEmpoli F.C.
Empoli Football Club is an Italian association football club located in Empoli, Tuscany, founded in 1920 and played its first official match in 1921.In recent years, the club has all too often been bouncing between Italy's two top divisions...
, where he led the Tuscan
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
side to two consecutive promotions from Serie C1 to Serie A. However, it was at 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....
where he really began to make an impact as a manager. During the 2004–05 season, Spalletti guided Udinese to a sensational fourth-placed finish in 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...
, exceeding expectations and securing a spot in the Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
.
Roma
Such success for a traditionally unexceptional side with limited resources attracted the attention of RomaA.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...
. The capital side had come off a disappointing season, in which four different coaches had spells in charge of the club. Spalletti was offered the task of attempting to bring order to this chaotic side.
After an uninspiring first half of the 2005–06 season, he changed the team's tactics to attacking rather than defensive, but starting playing without any real striker (with an attacking midfielder as striker). On 26 February 2006, Roma broke the 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...
record for consecutive wins (11) with a 2–0 victory over 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...
. However, by the end of the season, Roma failed to reach 4th place, therefore failing to qualify for the UEFA Champions League. Spalletti also took Roma into 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...
final against Inter during the 2005–06 season but lost. However, Roma qualified for the 2006–07 UEFA Champions League, since 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...
was relegated and 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...
and 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...
received point deductions, all as a result of the Serie A match-fixing scandal.
Spalletti's favoured formation is the 4–2–3–1 system, where he uses 4 defenders, 2 defensive midfielders, 2 wingers (both sides of the 3), 1 attacking midfielder, and 1 striker (Francesco Totti
Francesco Totti
Francesco Totti, Ufficiale OMRI, is an Italian footballer who is the captain of Serie A club Roma. His primary position is that of a trequartista, though he has also been successfully utilized as a lone striker. Totti has spent his entire career at Roma, is the number-one goalscorer and the most...
, another attacking midfielder, or without any real striker). This system proved effective upon its introduction during the 2005–06 season for Roma. As a result, the team climbed the charts from 15th to 5th place by the end of the season. During that time, Roma also went on an 11-match winning streak.
At the end of 2006, Spalletti was elected Serie A Coach of the Year
Serie A Coach of the Year
The Serie A Coach of the Year is a yearly award organized by the Italian Footballers' Association given to the coach who has been considered to have performed the best over the previous Serie A season. The award is part of the "Oscar del Calcio" awards event...
and, in the following months, led Roma until the Champions League quarter-final after a 2–0 victory over Lyon
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
at the Stade Gerland
Stade Gerland
The Stade de Gerland is a stadium, in the city of Lyon, France and home to Ligue 1 football club Olympique Lyonnais...
in the first knockout round.
The team, however, succeeded in becoming the first team to defeat Roberto Mancini
Roberto Mancini
Roberto Mancini is an Italian football manager, formerly an international player and current manager of Premier League club Manchester City.As a player Mancini was best known for his time at Sampdoria, where he played more than 550 matches, and helped them win the Serie A league title, four Coppa...
's Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
in all competitions that year, emerging with a 1–3 result at the San Siro
San Siro
The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, originally and commonly referred to as the San Siro because of its location, officially given its current name on 3 March 1980, is a football stadium located in the San Siro district in Milan, Italy. It is the home of both A.C. Milan and F.C. Internazionale Milano...
, a match that the Nerazzurri had to win to mathematically claim the 2007 Scudetto
Serie A 2006-07
The Serie A 2006–2007 season began September 10, 2006. It was scheduled to begin on August 26 and 27, but was then postponed due to the Serie A scandal of 2006. It is the 104th Italian championship ever held, the first without the presence of Juventus, and the 75th Serie A league, the first...
against the only credible rival they had in the championship.
Roma would also win 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...
against Inter, with an aggregate result of 7–4; a resounding 6–2 in the first leg in Rome and followed by a narrow 2–1 defeat in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
. It was the first important trophy in Spalletti's career, who only had won a Coppa Italia di Serie C with Empoli. But he was yet to add another piece of silverware to his cabinet, as Roma would again defeat Inter 0–1 in Milan in the 2007–08 to steal their Supercoppa Italiana
Supercoppa Italiana
The Supercoppa Italiana is a pre-season football competition held the week before the season begins in Italy every year. It is contested by the winners of the Serie A and the Coppa Italia in the previous season, as a curtain raiser to the new season. It is usually played at the home of the Serie A...
crown.
In the 2007–08 Champions League first knockout round, Spalletti's Roma team became the first Italian team to defeat Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
over two legs (2–1 in both ties in Rome
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...
and Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
) and consequently also became the first European side to record two victories over Real Madrid in their Santiago Bernabéu
Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
The Estadio Santiago Bernabéu is an all-seater football stadium in Madrid, Spain. It was inaugurated on 14 December 1947 and is owned by Real Madrid Club de Fútbol. It has a current capacity of 85,454 spectators....
home ground. In a repeat of the previous season's quarter final, Roma were again eliminated from the Champions League by eventual winners Manchester United. They did, however, succeed in their defence of the Coppa Italia, once again defeating Scudetto winners Inter in the final — a single match which Roma won 2–1.
In the 2008–09 season, Spalletti faced a very difficult season with Roma. At the end of the season, the team only managed to qualify for the Europa League with a 6th-place position in the league, after a very struggling initial period that left the giallorossi in the bottom half of the league for the first part of the Serie A season.
The new season saw Spalletti struggling with a limited squad, that was weakened further by the sale of Alberto Aquilani
Alberto Aquilani
Alberto Aquilani is an Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Milan on loan from Liverpool. He is also part of the Italian national team. Aquilani is a central midfielder, who can operate in a holding position or an attacking position in the hole behind the strikers...
to Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, and compounded by serious financial problems for the club. Roma started the season by taking part in two 2009–10 UEFA Europa League qualifying rounds, both easily won against Gent (10–2 on aggregate) and Košice
MFK Košice
MFK Košice is a professional Slovak first division football club based in Košice. The club, founded in 1952, won the Slovak League twice, the Slovak Cup four times and the Czechoslovak Cup once. The most successful era of the club has been in 70's and 90's years of past century which they have...
(10–4 on aggregate); however, another poor start in the Serie A 2009–10 season, with two consecutive defeats (2–3 to 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...
and 1–3, at home, to 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...
) persuaded Spalletti to resign on September 1, 2009.
Zenit St. Petersburg
On December 2009, it was confirmed Spalletti would join FC Zenit Saint PetersburgFC Zenit Saint Petersburg
Football Club Zenit is a Russian football club from the city of Saint-Petersburg. Founded in 1925 , the club plays in the Russian Premier League...
on a three-year deal, replacing interim coach Anatoly Davydov. With him, Zenit won the Russian Cup in 2010, after an 11 years absence, and then in November 2010 clinched the 2010 Russian Premier League
2010 Russian Premier League
The 2010 Russian Premier League is the 19th season of the Russian football championship since the dissolution of the Soviet Union and 9th under the current Russian Premier League name. The season started on 12 March 2010. The last matches have been played on 29 November 2010. On 14 November 2010,...
.
Manager
Roma- Coppa ItaliaCoppa ItaliaThe 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...
: 2
-
- 2007, 2008
- Supercoppa ItalianaSupercoppa ItalianaThe Supercoppa Italiana is a pre-season football competition held the week before the season begins in Italy every year. It is contested by the winners of the Serie A and the Coppa Italia in the previous season, as a curtain raiser to the new season. It is usually played at the home of the Serie A...
: 1
- Supercoppa Italiana
- 20072007 Supercoppa ItalianaThe 2007 Supercoppa Italiana was a match contested by Serie A 2006-07 winners Internazionale and Coppa Italia 2006-07 winners Roma.The match took place on 19 August 2007 in San Siro, Milan and resulted in a 1-0 victory for Roma...
- 2007, 2008
Zenit St. Petersburg
- Russian Cup: 1
-
- 2010
- Russian Premier LeagueRussian Premier LeagueThe Russian Premier League , currently called SOGAZ Russian Football Championship due to sponsorship reasons, is the top division of Russian football. There are 16 teams in the competition...
: 2
- Russian Premier League
- 20102010 Russian Premier LeagueThe 2010 Russian Premier League is the 19th season of the Russian football championship since the dissolution of the Soviet Union and 9th under the current Russian Premier League name. The season started on 12 March 2010. The last matches have been played on 29 November 2010. On 14 November 2010,...
2011- Russian Super CupRussian Super CupThe Russian Super Cup is a one-match football annual competition. Its official sponsored name is TransTeleCom Russian Supercup . The two participating clubs are holders of the Russian Premier League champions title and the Russian Cup...
: 1
- Russian Super Cup
- 20112011 Russian Super CupThe 2011 Russian Football Super Cup was the 9th Russian Super Cup match, a football match which was contested between the 2010 Russian Premier League champion and 2009–10 Russian Cup champion, Zenit St. Petersburg, and the runner-up of 2010 Russian Premier League, CSKA Moscow...
- 2010