Cesare Prandelli
Encyclopedia
Cesare Claudio Prandelli (ˈtʃɛzare pranˈdɛlli; born 19 August 1957 in Orzinuovi
, province of Brescia
) is an Italian
football coach and former player. He is currently the manager of the Italy national football team
.
to Juventus
in 1979. His first game for Juventus was in the 1979–80 European Cup Winners' Cup against Raba ETO Gyor
. He played six seasons with Juventus, with his final game in the 1984–85 Coppa Italia
against Milan
.
In total, Prandelli played in 197 Serie A matches.
. He coached Atalanta's youth squad with excellent results from 1990 to 1997, except for a seven-months parenthesis, from November 1993 to June 1994, in which he served as caretaker for the first team, then relegated to Serie B
. After a poor 1997–98 Serie A campaign as Lecce
head coach ended in a sacking in January 1998, Prandelli headed Hellas Verona
for two seasons, leading the gialloblu to an immediate promotion to Serie A
, and then to a very good ninth place the next year. He later spent two years with Parma
, where he fully reached national glory.
Starting the 2004–05 season for AS Roma
, he left the team because of personal problems involving his wife, with her being seriously ill.
Prandelli joined Fiorentina
as manager in the summer of 2005. His first season in Tuscany proved to be a huge success, as Prandelli transformed Fiorentina from relegation strugglers into a team worthy of a UEFA Champions League
spot, finishing the season in fourth place. Unfortunately for Fiorentina and Prandelli however, as a result of the Calciopoli match-fixing scandal, Fiorentina were stripped of their Champions League spot and started the 2006–07 season in Serie A with a 15 point deduction.
The next year, despite the points deduction, Prandelli was able to guide Fiorentina to a 6th place finish in Serie A (with the same point tally as 5th placed Palermo
), securing UEFA Cup
qualification for the 2007–08 season. The team did very well in the competition, losing the penalty shootout against Rangers
in the semi-final. In Serie A, the team finished fourth after winning a long race against Milan
, earning a ticket to participate in the UEFA Champions League
. His wife died during the season, making Prandelli's efforts all the more impressive.
For his work in the 2007–08 season, Prandelli was awarded the Serie A Coach of the Year
at the "Oscar del calcio
" awards in early 2009. He later managed to get Fiorentina into the group phase, after defeating SK Slavia Praha in the third qualifying round, and also guided Fiorentina to another fourth place spot, this time winning competition to Genoa
(who ended the season with the same points as Fiorentina, but were classified at fifth due to head-to-head results) and a second consecutive participation in the UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds. After the departure of Carlo Ancelotti
, Prandelli's tenure as Fiorentina became the longest of all incumbent Serie A managers.
In 2009, Prandelli surpassed Fulvio Bernardini
as the longest serving manager in Fiorentina history, and guided the viola to a historic qualification in the round of 16 of the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League, where they were controversially eliminated by Bayern Munich
(who later went on to qualify to the final) through the away goals rule
. However, Prandelli did not manage to repeat such successes at the domestic stage, with things being made even more complex by his key player Adrian Mutu
being suspended due to doping-related issues. Fiorentina ended the 2009–10 Serie A
in eleventh place, well far from the top spots of the league.
On 20 May 2010 Fiorentina confirmed that Prandelli was given permission to hold talks with Italian Football Federation president Giancarlo Abete to replace Marcello Lippi
as head coach of the Italian national team
after the 2010 FIFA World Cup
. On 30 May, the Italian Football Federation publicly announced that Prandelli will take over from Lippi at the head of the Azzurri after the 2010 FIFA World Cup. His official debut arrived on 10 August 2010, in a friendly match against Ivory Coast at the Boleyn Ground
, finishing in a 0–1 defeat.
Then, during the 2012 Euro Qualifiers, Italy came back from behind to defeat Estonia
2-1. Italy's mtach against Serbia
was plagued by crowd trouble and UEFA
subsequently awarded Italy a 3-0 victory, putting them in pole position of their group. On March 25. 2011, Italy recorded a 1-0 win over Slovenia
to secure their spot at the top of the qualification table. Before the Slovenia game, Prandelli said: “The moment has come for us to have faith in the former greats of our football and learn from them”. “My instruction is to work, work, work and I sincerely believe in rebuilding" he continued. “I don’t think it’s incredible the huge number of talents that Slovenia are producing, nothing is incredible if you program and cultivate your ideas about football.”
and Domenico Pezzolla witnessing the event, and they had two children named Carolina and Nicolò. In 2001, Prandelli's wife was diagnosed breast cancer
; her worsening health conditions led Prandelli to resign from his coaching post at Roma only days after his signing. After a short recovery, her conditions aggravated and she died on 26 November 2007 in Florence. On 29 November Fiorentina travelled to Athens to play Greek side AEK Athens, with Prandelli's assistant Gabriele Pin
deputizing for him. The Fiorentina team attended Prandelli's wife's funeral along with her personal friends. The team was shaken by the turn of events.
On July 2009 his son Niccolò entered into football as well, after being hired by Parma F.C.
as fitness coach.
U.S. Cremonese
Juventus
Hellas Verona FC 1903
Venezia
Orzinuovi
Orzinuovi is a town and comune in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy, Italy.-History:It was founded in 1193 as a boundary fortress with a statute of the comune of Brescia, with the name of "Orci Novi". Its history thenceforth closely follows that of Brescia, therefore sharing the Venetian...
, province of Brescia
Province of Brescia
The Province of Brescia is a Province in Lombardy, Italy. It borders with the province of Sondrio in the N and NW, the province of Bergamo in the W, province of Cremona in the SW and S, the province of Mantova to the S, and to the east, the province of Verona and Trentino .Source for statistical...
) is an Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
football coach and former player. He is currently the manager of the Italy national football team
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
.
Playing career
Prandelli was a midfielder who moved from AtalantaAtalanta 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...
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...
in 1979. His first game for Juventus was in the 1979–80 European Cup Winners' Cup against Raba ETO Gyor
Gyori ETO FC
Győri ETO FC , Győri Egyetértés Torna Osztály Football Club or just Győr, is a Hungarian sports club from Győr, a mid-size town in the north-west of the country. In 1904 the club was founded as Győri Vagongyár ETO and has undergone many name changes since...
. He played six seasons with Juventus, with his final game in the 1984–85 Coppa Italia
1984–85 Coppa Italia
-Second Leg:Sampdoria win 3–2 on aggregate.-References:...
against 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...
.
In total, Prandelli played in 197 Serie A matches.
Coaching career
Prandelli started his managing career as youth team coach for AtalantaAtalanta 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...
. He coached Atalanta's youth squad with excellent results from 1990 to 1997, except for a seven-months parenthesis, from November 1993 to June 1994, in which he served as caretaker for the first team, then relegated to 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...
. After a poor 1997–98 Serie A campaign as 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....
head coach ended in a sacking in January 1998, Prandelli headed Hellas Verona
Hellas Verona F.C.
Hellas Verona Football Club is a professional Italian association football team, based in Verona, Veneto. The team's colours are yellow and blue and gialloblu is the team's most widely used nickname...
for two seasons, leading the gialloblu to an immediate promotion to 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...
, and then to a very good ninth place the next year. He later spent two years with Parma
Parma F.C.
Parma Football Club , commonly referred to as just Parma, is an Italian professional football club based in Parma, Emilia–Romagna that will compete in Serie A for the 2011–12 season, having finished in twelfth position last season. Founded as Verdi Foot Ball Club in July 1913, the club changed its...
, where he fully reached national glory.
Starting the 2004–05 season for AS 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...
, he left the team because of personal problems involving his wife, with her being seriously ill.
Prandelli joined 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...
as manager in the summer of 2005. His first season in Tuscany proved to be a huge success, as Prandelli transformed Fiorentina from relegation strugglers into a team worthy of a UEFA 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...
spot, finishing the season in fourth place. Unfortunately for Fiorentina and Prandelli however, as a result of the Calciopoli match-fixing scandal, Fiorentina were stripped of their Champions League spot and started the 2006–07 season in Serie A with a 15 point deduction.
The next year, despite the points deduction, Prandelli was able to guide Fiorentina to a 6th place finish in Serie A (with the same point tally as 5th placed 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...
), securing UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
qualification for the 2007–08 season. The team did very well in the competition, losing the penalty shootout against 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...
in the semi-final. In Serie A, the team finished fourth after winning a long race against 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...
, earning a ticket to participate in the UEFA 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...
. His wife died during the season, making Prandelli's efforts all the more impressive.
For his work in the 2007–08 season, Prandelli was awarded the 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...
at the "Oscar del calcio
Oscar del Calcio
The Oscar del Calcio are awards given by the Italian Footballers' Association to the players, the coach and the referee who has been considered to have performed the best over the previous Serie A season...
" awards in early 2009. He later managed to get Fiorentina into the group phase, after defeating SK Slavia Praha in the third qualifying round, and also guided Fiorentina to another fourth place spot, this time winning competition 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...
(who ended the season with the same points as Fiorentina, but were classified at fifth due to head-to-head results) and a second consecutive participation in the UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds. After the departure of Carlo Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti is an Italian football manager, Nicknamed Carletto, Ancelotti played as a midfielder and had a successful career with Roma – captaining the team – with whom he won one Scudetto and 4 Coppa Italia and was part of the legendary late 80's Milan team, with whom he won two Scudetti and...
, Prandelli's tenure as Fiorentina became the longest of all incumbent Serie A managers.
In 2009, Prandelli surpassed Fulvio Bernardini
Fulvio Bernardini
Fulvio Bernardini was an Italian footballer and coach.During his playing career, he played for Lazio, Inter, Roma and M.A.T.E.R....
as the longest serving manager in Fiorentina history, and guided the viola to a historic qualification in the round of 16 of the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League, where they were controversially eliminated by Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
(who later went on to qualify to the final) through the away goals rule
Away goals rule
The away goals rule is a method of breaking ties in association football and other sports when teams play each other twice, once at each team's home ground. By the away goals rule, the team that has scored more goals "away from home" will win if scores are otherwise equal...
. However, Prandelli did not manage to repeat such successes at the domestic stage, with things being made even more complex by his key player Adrian Mutu
Adrian Mutu
Adrian Mutu is a Romanian footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Cesena.-Argeş Piteşti:Mutu began his professional career with his home club Argeş Piteşti...
being suspended due to doping-related issues. Fiorentina ended the 2009–10 Serie A
2009–10 Serie A
The 2009–10 Serie A was the seventy-eighth season since its establishment. There were three promoted teams from the Serie B, replacing the three teams that were relegated following the 2008–09 season. Nike provided a new match ball - the T90 Ascente - for this season...
in eleventh place, well far from the top spots of the league.
On 20 May 2010 Fiorentina confirmed that Prandelli was given permission to hold talks with Italian Football Federation president Giancarlo Abete to replace Marcello Lippi
Marcello Lippi
Marcello Lippi, Commendatore OMRI is a former Italian World Cup-winning football manager and former player. He served as Italian national team head coach from 16 July 2004 to 12 July 2006 and led Italy to win the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He was re-appointed as Italian head coach in the summer of 2008...
as head coach of the Italian national team
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
after the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
. On 30 May, the Italian Football Federation publicly announced that Prandelli will take over from Lippi at the head of the Azzurri after the 2010 FIFA World Cup. His official debut arrived on 10 August 2010, in a friendly match against Ivory Coast at the Boleyn Ground
Boleyn Ground
The Boleyn Ground, more commonly referred to as Upton Park due to its location in Upton Park, London is the football stadium of West Ham United.-History:...
, finishing in a 0–1 defeat.
Then, during the 2012 Euro Qualifiers, Italy came back from behind to defeat Estonia
Estonia national football team
The Estonia national football team represents Estonia in international association football. Team members are selected by the head coach of Estonian Football Association . Estonia play their home matches at the A. Le Coq Arena in Tallinn, Estonia....
2-1. Italy's mtach against Serbia
Serbia national football team
The Serbia national football team represents Serbia in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Serbia, the governing body for football in Serbia. Serbia's home ground is Stadion Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade and their last head coach was Vladimir Petrović...
was plagued by crowd trouble and UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
subsequently awarded Italy a 3-0 victory, putting them in pole position of their group. On March 25. 2011, Italy recorded a 1-0 win over Slovenia
Slovenia national football team
The Slovenia national football team is the national football team of Slovenia and is controlled by the Football Association of Slovenia. The team played their first match in 1992 after the split of Yugoslavia in 1991....
to secure their spot at the top of the qualification table. Before the Slovenia game, Prandelli said: “The moment has come for us to have faith in the former greats of our football and learn from them”. “My instruction is to work, work, work and I sincerely believe in rebuilding" he continued. “I don’t think it’s incredible the huge number of talents that Slovenia are producing, nothing is incredible if you program and cultivate your ideas about football.”
Personal life
Cesare Prandelli was married to Manuela Caffi, a woman he had met in his hometown of Orzinuovi when he was 18 and she was 15. They married in 1982, with footballers Antonio CabriniAntonio Cabrini
Antonio Cabrini is an Italian football former player. He played left-back, mainly with Juventus. He won the 1982 FIFA World Cup with the Italian national team....
and Domenico Pezzolla witnessing the event, and they had two children named Carolina and Nicolò. In 2001, Prandelli's wife was diagnosed breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
; her worsening health conditions led Prandelli to resign from his coaching post at Roma only days after his signing. After a short recovery, her conditions aggravated and she died on 26 November 2007 in Florence. On 29 November Fiorentina travelled to Athens to play Greek side AEK Athens, with Prandelli's assistant Gabriele Pin
Gabriele Pin
Gabriele Pin , is an Italian football coach. He is currently working as Cesare Prandelli's assistant with the Italy, after working with him during the former's stint at Fiorentina....
deputizing for him. The Fiorentina team attended Prandelli's wife's funeral along with her personal friends. The team was shaken by the turn of events.
On July 2009 his son Niccolò entered into football as well, after being hired by Parma F.C.
Parma F.C.
Parma Football Club , commonly referred to as just Parma, is an Italian professional football club based in Parma, Emilia–Romagna that will compete in Serie A for the 2011–12 season, having finished in twelfth position last season. Founded as Verdi Foot Ball Club in July 1913, the club changed its...
as fitness coach.
Player
U.S. CremoneseU.S. Cremonese
Unione Sportiva Cremonese is an Italian football club, based in Cremona. The club was founded in 1903. Cremonese played the 2005/2006 season in Serie B, having won Serie C1/A the previous season. However, in the 2005/2006 Serie B campaign, Cremonese came out twenty-first, being therefore relegated...
- Serie CSerie CThe 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...
: 1976–77
Juventus
- Serie ASerie ASerie 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...
: 1980–81Serie A 1980-81The 1980/1981 Serie A season was won by Juventus F.C..-Final classification:-Results:-References and sources:*Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005-External links:...
, 1981–82Serie A 1981-82The 1981/1982 Serie A season was won by Juventus F.C..-Final classification:Juventus FC became the first, and as of 2011, the only team in Italian football to be awarded two golden stars, to commemorate their 20th title win.-Results:...
, 1983–84 - 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...
: 1983 - UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions LeagueThe 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...
: 1984–85 - UEFA Cup Winners' CupUEFA Cup Winners' CupThe UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
: 1983–84
Manager
Hellas Verona FC 1903
- Serie BSerie BSerie 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...
: 1998–99 1st – Promoted
VeneziaF.B.C. Unione Venezia
Football Club Unione Venezia , commonly referred to as simply Venezia, is an Italian football club from Venice, Veneto....
- Serie BSerie BSerie 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...
: 2000–01 4th – Promoted