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Roman Rule: Palermo Pink Slip
Walter Zenga got his pink slip today, six months into the job as coach of Palermo. Too many coaches in Serie A are fired too quickly, says Zac Lee Rigg, before reviewing the weekend's action.
Nov 23, 2009 8:49:24 AM
Since June of this year, 15 Italian Serie A coaches have found dreaded pink slips in their mailboxes upon going to work.
The latest in a long line of early firings fell to Palermo tactician Walter Zenga.
In that same six month time period, English Premier League clubs have fired exactly zero coaches, seven clubs found new leadership in Spain's La Liga, and 10 German Bundesliga coaches got the sack.
Suffice to say coaching jobs in Italy aren't a sure thing. That's 75% of Serie A clubs that have made a change in half a year.
Even so, Palermo chairman Maurizio Zamparini has a reputation for ruthlessness with his coaches. Since 1987 when he entered the soccer scene, he has fired 27 coaches, 15 at previous club Venezia and eight with Palermo.
Zamparini's impatience and Palermo's lackluster performances this year mean that Zenga's dismissal came as no surprise. The club sits in 12th place with a disappointing 17 points from 13 games, despite boasting the talent to challenge for Europe. Winless in four, the most recent 1-1 draw with Sicilian rivals Catania sealed the deal.
Still, Zenga can feel hard done by. The charismatic coach had only a few months in the hot seat in which to work. Known for his tight polo shirts with short sleeves to expose his bulging biceps and bearing the imprint "WZ" on the chest, Zenga has worked his way up from the bottom. The former Inter goalkeeper kicked off his managerial career with the New England Revolution before rising in prominence in Romania with a series of clubs.
Given a chance in Serie A with Catania, Zenga delivered, staving off relegation in his first year and building up to a midtable finish his second. When he joined Catania's fierce derby rivals Palermo, it raised quite a few eyebrows. (Perhaps ironically, then, Catania ended Zenga's Palermo reign.)
Before the season began, he boldly asserted that his goal with the Eagles was the Serie A title. Instead, his career with Palermo ends with the dreaded pink slip.
The early money is on former Lazio coach Delio Rossi to take over the Palermo hot seat. Unless he's only looking for temporary employment, Rossi may as well wait for a more secure offer.
Julius Cesar
Consul Of The Week
Since Francisco Totti's most recent injury, Roma has won one league game out of five. Granted, it posted a steely draw with Inter, but desperately lacked a creative spark in that match as well. So it's safe to say that Roman fans everywhere breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Totti's name in the starting lineup against Bari on Sunday.
That sigh quickly turned to shouts of exultation. Within 28 minutes, Totti notched a hat-trick to bring him to the top of the Serie A goalscoring charts and effectively seal the three points. A penalty, a stunning free kick, and a controlled curler to the far post (helped on by a slight deflection) meant Er Pupone got to stick his thumb in his mouth in celebration three times in quick succession.
Probably no club in the world relies on its captain as much as Roma relies on Totti. Throughout his career he has missed out on titles and has found himself overlooked for individual awards. But to Roma fans, even the missus takes a distant second to Totti's value.
Cleopatra
Beautiful Moment Of The Week
36 years old and he's still got it. With the composure only given those of Christian Panucci's experience, the defender coolly trapped Manuel Pasqual's cross inside his own box and sauntered forward. No one pressured him, so he kept on jogging. Then, movement. Using the same canny mind that saw attacks before they happen to sniff them out, he saw one building. With the outside of his right boot, he smacked a 60-yard ball up and around Fiorentina's defensive pairing into the run of striker Davide Lanzafame. The substitute still had plenty to do, namely outrun Cesare Natali and flick the ball just inside the far post as he fell, but that assist was a thing of beauty.
Cicero
Quote Of The Week
"Today's technology is moving rapidly compared to how good man can be in improving himself," former referee Pierluigi Collina told Radio Anchio Lo Sport.
"A solution needs to be found. I think judges behind the goals in Paris would or could have helped the referee to see what happened better.
"[Thierry] Henry's incident lasts just a few seconds and the referee may have had a feeling by seeing the players react, but there are times when you don't see something on the pitch."
Collina, before he retired in 2005, was hands down the best referee in the world. His sunken eyes saw all and his bald head knew everything that went on in a match. Now he's added his considerable voice to the video replay debate. Of course, like anyone who presides over such a far-reaching international organization, the fuddy-duddies in charge of FIFA won't listen. Guess we'll just sit around beating our fists into our chest out of rage at incorrect calls until the next generation of honchos take over FIFA.
Brutus
Backstabber / Club Hindrance Of The Week
Zamparini. See above. When even Serie A fans think you fire quickly, it's time to give the endearing character you signed six months ago the benefit of the doubt.
Results
Bologna 1-3 Inter, Fiorentina 2-3 Parma, Juventus 1-0 Udinese, Livorno 2-1 Genoa, AC Milan 4-3 Cagliari, Napoli 0-0 Lazio, Palermo 1-1 Catania, Roma 3-1 Bari, Sampdoria 2-1 Chievo, Siena 0-2 Atalanta.
Zac Lee Rigg is an associate editor of Goal.com
Keep up to date with Serie A and Italy news with Goal.com's Italy page
The latest in a long line of early firings fell to Palermo tactician Walter Zenga.
In that same six month time period, English Premier League clubs have fired exactly zero coaches, seven clubs found new leadership in Spain's La Liga, and 10 German Bundesliga coaches got the sack.
Suffice to say coaching jobs in Italy aren't a sure thing. That's 75% of Serie A clubs that have made a change in half a year.
Even so, Palermo chairman Maurizio Zamparini has a reputation for ruthlessness with his coaches. Since 1987 when he entered the soccer scene, he has fired 27 coaches, 15 at previous club Venezia and eight with Palermo.
Zamparini's impatience and Palermo's lackluster performances this year mean that Zenga's dismissal came as no surprise. The club sits in 12th place with a disappointing 17 points from 13 games, despite boasting the talent to challenge for Europe. Winless in four, the most recent 1-1 draw with Sicilian rivals Catania sealed the deal.
Still, Zenga can feel hard done by. The charismatic coach had only a few months in the hot seat in which to work. Known for his tight polo shirts with short sleeves to expose his bulging biceps and bearing the imprint "WZ" on the chest, Zenga has worked his way up from the bottom. The former Inter goalkeeper kicked off his managerial career with the New England Revolution before rising in prominence in Romania with a series of clubs.
Given a chance in Serie A with Catania, Zenga delivered, staving off relegation in his first year and building up to a midtable finish his second. When he joined Catania's fierce derby rivals Palermo, it raised quite a few eyebrows. (Perhaps ironically, then, Catania ended Zenga's Palermo reign.)
Before the season began, he boldly asserted that his goal with the Eagles was the Serie A title. Instead, his career with Palermo ends with the dreaded pink slip.
The early money is on former Lazio coach Delio Rossi to take over the Palermo hot seat. Unless he's only looking for temporary employment, Rossi may as well wait for a more secure offer.
Julius Cesar
Consul Of The Week
 |
That sigh quickly turned to shouts of exultation. Within 28 minutes, Totti notched a hat-trick to bring him to the top of the Serie A goalscoring charts and effectively seal the three points. A penalty, a stunning free kick, and a controlled curler to the far post (helped on by a slight deflection) meant Er Pupone got to stick his thumb in his mouth in celebration three times in quick succession.
Probably no club in the world relies on its captain as much as Roma relies on Totti. Throughout his career he has missed out on titles and has found himself overlooked for individual awards. But to Roma fans, even the missus takes a distant second to Totti's value.
 |
Beautiful Moment Of The Week
36 years old and he's still got it. With the composure only given those of Christian Panucci's experience, the defender coolly trapped Manuel Pasqual's cross inside his own box and sauntered forward. No one pressured him, so he kept on jogging. Then, movement. Using the same canny mind that saw attacks before they happen to sniff them out, he saw one building. With the outside of his right boot, he smacked a 60-yard ball up and around Fiorentina's defensive pairing into the run of striker Davide Lanzafame. The substitute still had plenty to do, namely outrun Cesare Natali and flick the ball just inside the far post as he fell, but that assist was a thing of beauty.
Cicero
Quote Of The Week
"Today's technology is moving rapidly compared to how good man can be in improving himself," former referee Pierluigi Collina told Radio Anchio Lo Sport.
"A solution needs to be found. I think judges behind the goals in Paris would or could have helped the referee to see what happened better.
"[Thierry] Henry's incident lasts just a few seconds and the referee may have had a feeling by seeing the players react, but there are times when you don't see something on the pitch."
 |
Brutus
Backstabber / Club Hindrance Of The Week
Zamparini. See above. When even Serie A fans think you fire quickly, it's time to give the endearing character you signed six months ago the benefit of the doubt.
Results
Bologna 1-3 Inter, Fiorentina 2-3 Parma, Juventus 1-0 Udinese, Livorno 2-1 Genoa, AC Milan 4-3 Cagliari, Napoli 0-0 Lazio, Palermo 1-1 Catania, Roma 3-1 Bari, Sampdoria 2-1 Chievo, Siena 0-2 Atalanta.
Zac Lee Rigg is an associate editor of Goal.com
Keep up to date with Serie A and Italy news with Goal.com's Italy page
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