Francesco Guidolin
Encyclopedia
Francesco Guidolin is an Italian
football manager and former player, currently serving as head coach of Serie A
outfit Udinese
.
club Verona
in 1975, with whom then spent most of his career, except for a number of loan moves to clubs Sambenedettese
, Pistoiese
and Bologna
. He retired in 1986 after two seasons with Serie C2
club Venezia.
Guidolin also appeared with the Italian Under-21 team
between 1976 and 1977.
team Giorgione, the main club of his native city, Castelfranco Veneto. He then coached teams such as Treviso
(Serie C2), Fano
, Empoli
and Ravenna
(all in Serie C1). After having led Ravenna to a Serie B
promotion, Guidolin was successively appointed in 1993 as coach of Serie A
team Atalanta
, but he did not achieve great success and he was fired after just 10 matches.
, leading the team from Serie B
to win the Coppa Italia
in 1997 and even reaching the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
semi-final on his first adventure at the European level, then lost to Gianluca Vialli
's Chelsea
, in 1998. He also guided Vicenza to top the Serie A league table for a short period throughout the 1996–97 season, leading therefore the biancorossi back to the top level after a period of decline, winning the first domestic trophy ever for the club and gaining only the second appearance in a European competition for the club.
for the 1998–99
, guiding the club to a mid-table placement but being fired only days before the kick-off of the following 1999–2000
campaign.
On November 1999, Guidolin was hired by Bologna
, a former team of his as a player, to replace Sergio Buso. In his first campaign for the rossoblu, he guided his side to eleventh place in the Serie A table, also leading the club's UEFA Cup
campaign up to the third round of the competition.
The 2000–01 campaign ended with another mid-table placement, in ninth place; a small improvement also appeared in the 2001–02 campaign, ended in seventh place and qualification to the UEFA Intertoto Cup
, where his side was defeated by Fulham
in the finals.
The 2002–03 season, started with good results, ended in a disappointing eleventh place and high criticism of Guidolin, which raised even more after the head coach made him escape an insulting phrase about the city of Bologna during a league match.
at the helm of Serie B
team Palermo
in January 2004. He then successfully conducted the team to win the league, bringing the rosanero back to the top flight after 35 years in the lower ranks.
He also guided Palermo for their historic first Serie A campaign in the new millennium, ended with the club's first UEFA Cup
qualification ever, but then opted to leave the club for the end of the season.
head coach; however, after the team was relegated to Serie C1 by the Football Federation because of alleged fixing, Guidolin rescinded his contract. He was appointed coach of AS Monaco FC
in October 2005, but after just one season in charge he departed the club after a campaign in which Monaco finished a disappointing 30 points behind Ligue 1
champions Olympique Lyonnais
.
in a shock announcement found on the team's webpage, with a three-year deal and an undisclosed sum, replacing Giuseppe Papadopulo
.
After an impressive start which brought Palermo clearly to third place for the whole first part of the season, Palermo however was not able to win a single match in over two months, following a six-month injury for team's biggest star Amauri
in December and the infamous Sicilian derby
of 2 February 2007 and the successive riots
during which a policeman was killed. Following a crushing 3–4 home defeat to Parma
, a team in trouble of relegation, and 7 points gained in the last 11 league matches, Guidolin was ultimately sacked by Palermo chairman Maurizio Zamparini
on 23 April; however his sacking was revoked on 14 May, following two other consecutive defeats for Palermo. After two wins in the two final Serie A matches which brought Palermo back to fifth place (its best Serie A table placement as of 2009), Guidolin finally ended his second time in Palermo.
In October 2007, Guidolin was reportedly approached by the new owners of English Championship side Queens Park Rangers
to become the club's new manager, after the poor start to the new season bought about the sacking of John Gregory. He later confirmed the rumours linking him to QPR, claiming he would be pleased with a professional move to England. A few days later he was however reported to have refused the QPR job due to personal issues.
On 26 November 2007 Guidolin was unexpectedly appointed back at the helm of the rosanero, replacing Stefano Colantuono
and joining the Sicilian club for a record fourth time. However, he was axed once again on 24 March 2008 as he only managed to achieve 18 points in 17 matches, after three consecutive defeats, the latter followed by controversial post-match comments in which he criticized the team fanbase. Despite such comments and poor team performances in his last stint as Palermo boss, Guidolin is still today hailed as one of the club legends and was warmly welcomed during his Stadio Renzo Barbera
return, this time as Parma manager.
, replacing Luigi Cagni
and guiding the ducali to a runners-up place in the 2008–09 Serie B and an immediate promotion back into the top flight. He was confirmed at the helm of Parma for the 2009–10 Serie A
season, where he enjoyed a good start with the team constantly in the top ten for the first half of the season.
At the end of the 2009–10 season, after guiding Parma to a mid-table finish, he resigned in order to become new head coach of Udinese
.
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, currently serving as head coach of 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...
outfit 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....
.
Playing career
Guidolin made his professional debut with then-Serie ASerie 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...
club 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...
in 1975, with whom then spent most of his career, except for a number of loan moves to clubs Sambenedettese
S.S. Sambenedettese Calcio
Unione Sportiva Sambenedettese is an Italian association football club, based in San Benedetto del Tronto, Marche. The club was founded in 1923. Sambenedettese currently plays in Serie D, having last been in Serie B in 1989. The team's colors are red and blue....
, Pistoiese
A.C. Pistoiese
Unione Sportiva Pistoiese 1921 is an Italian association football club, based in Pistoia, Tuscany.At the end of the 2010-11 Eccellenza season, Pistoiese was promoted to Serie D....
and Bologna
Bologna F.C. 1909
Bologna Football Club 1909, known simply as Bologna, is an Italian Football League club based in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, formed in 1993. The club are nicknamed the rossoblù because of the red and blue striped shirts they wear. Red and Blue are the official colours of the town.During its history...
. He retired in 1986 after two seasons with 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...
club Venezia.
Guidolin also appeared with the Italian Under-21 team
Italy national under-21 football team
The Italy national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Italy and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation.The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years...
between 1976 and 1977.
Early years
Guidolin debuted in a managing role in 1988, as head coach of Serie C2Serie 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...
team Giorgione, the main club of his native city, Castelfranco Veneto. He then coached teams such as Treviso
Treviso F.B.C. 1993
Football Club Treviso is an Italian football club based in Treviso. The club was formed in 1909, and refounded in 1993 and in 2009. The club currently plays in Lega Pro Seconda Divisione.Treviso's official colours are light blue and white.-History:...
(Serie C2), Fano
Fano Calcio
Alma Juventus Fano 1906 is an Italian association football club located in Fano, Marche. The club currently plays in Lega Pro Seconda Divisione and was founded in 1906.-Current squad:...
, 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...
and Ravenna
Ravenna Calcio
Ravenna Calcio is an Italian association football club, based in Ravenna, Emilia-Romagna. The club was founded in 1913 and refounded in 2001....
(all in Serie C1). After having led Ravenna 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, Guidolin was successively appointed in 1993 as coach of 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...
team 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...
, but he did not achieve great success and he was fired after just 10 matches.
Vicenza: from Serie B to Europe
The next season, Guidolin joined VicenzaVicenza Calcio
Vicenza Calcio is an Italian football club based in Vicenza, Veneto. The club was formed in 1902 and currently plays in Italy's Serie B, having spent the entire 1960s and a large part of the 1990s in Serie A...
, leading the team from 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...
to 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...
in 1997 and even reaching the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The 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...
semi-final on his first adventure at the European level, then lost to Gianluca Vialli
Gianluca Vialli
Gianluca Vialli is an Italian football manager and former player. Since retiring, he has gone into management and punditry and is a commentator for Sky Sport Italia....
's Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
, in 1998. He also guided Vicenza to top the Serie A league table for a short period throughout the 1996–97 season, leading therefore the biancorossi back to the top level after a period of decline, winning the first domestic trophy ever for the club and gaining only the second appearance in a European competition for the club.
Udinese and Bologna
In 1998, after four years of impressive results with Vicenza, Guidolin accepted the head coaching position at UdineseUdinese 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....
for the 1998–99
Serie A 1998-99
AC Milan won their 16th Scudetto, led by coach Alberto Zaccheroni. Lazio finished second, losing the title on the last day. Inter with an often Injured or rested Ronaldo had a disastrous season, finishing in 8th position, whereas Juventus impressive start was cut short by a bad injury to Alessandro...
, guiding the club to a mid-table placement but being fired only days before the kick-off of the following 1999–2000
Serie A 1999-00
Lazio won the title on the final day of the season in controversial cirumstances. Juventus, the only other team left in contention on the day lost their match against Perugia in terrible conditions at a rain-sodden Stadio Renato Curi, many considering the pitch unplayable. Pierluigi Collina the...
campaign.
On November 1999, Guidolin was hired by Bologna
Bologna F.C. 1909
Bologna Football Club 1909, known simply as Bologna, is an Italian Football League club based in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, formed in 1993. The club are nicknamed the rossoblù because of the red and blue striped shirts they wear. Red and Blue are the official colours of the town.During its history...
, a former team of his as a player, to replace Sergio Buso. In his first campaign for the rossoblu, he guided his side to eleventh place in the Serie A table, also leading the club's 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...
campaign up to the third round of the competition.
The 2000–01 campaign ended with another mid-table placement, in ninth place; a small improvement also appeared in the 2001–02 campaign, ended in seventh place and qualification to the UEFA Intertoto Cup
UEFA Intertoto Cup
The UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...
, where his side was defeated by Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
in the finals.
The 2002–03 season, started with good results, ended in a disappointing eleventh place and high criticism of Guidolin, which raised even more after the head coach made him escape an insulting phrase about the city of Bologna during a league match.
First stint with Palermo
Guidolin, after six months of inactivity, was appointed to replace Silvio BaldiniSilvio Baldini
Silvio Baldini is an Italian association football manager and the former head coach of Vicenza in the Serie B league.- Coach :...
at the helm of 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...
team 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...
in January 2004. He then successfully conducted the team to win the league, bringing the rosanero back to the top flight after 35 years in the lower ranks.
He also guided Palermo for their historic first Serie A campaign in the new millennium, ended with the club's first 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 ever, but then opted to leave the club for the end of the season.
Abroad with AS Monaco
Guidolin was then appointed as 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...
head coach; however, after the team was relegated to Serie C1 by the Football Federation because of alleged fixing, Guidolin rescinded his contract. He was appointed coach of AS Monaco FC
AS Monaco FC
Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club are a French football club based in Fontvieille, Monaco. The club was founded in 1924 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second tier of French football. The team plays its home matches at the Stade Louis II located within Fontvieille...
in October 2005, but after just one season in charge he departed the club after a campaign in which Monaco finished a disappointing 30 points behind Ligue 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
champions Olympique Lyonnais
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...
.
Back to Palermo
On 30 May 2006 Guidolin was re-hired by his former club 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...
in a shock announcement found on the team's webpage, with a three-year deal and an undisclosed sum, replacing Giuseppe Papadopulo
Giuseppe Papadopulo
Giuseppe Papadopulo is an Italian football manager and former player, last in charge as head coach of Torino.-Career:...
.
After an impressive start which brought Palermo clearly to third place for the whole first part of the season, Palermo however was not able to win a single match in over two months, following a six-month injury for team's biggest star Amauri
Amauri
Amauri Carvalho de Oliveira , better known as Amauri, is a Brazilian-born Italian footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Juventus.-Early career:...
in December and the infamous 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...
of 2 February 2007 and the successive riots
2007 Catania football violence
On February 2, 2007, football violence occurred between football supporters and the police in Catania, Italy. The clashes occurred during and after the Serie A match between Catania and Palermo football clubs, also known as the Sicilian derby...
during which a policeman was killed. Following a crushing 3–4 home defeat to 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...
, a team in trouble of relegation, and 7 points gained in the last 11 league matches, Guidolin was ultimately sacked by Palermo chairman 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....
on 23 April; however his sacking was revoked on 14 May, following two other consecutive defeats for Palermo. After two wins in the two final Serie A matches which brought Palermo back to fifth place (its best Serie A table placement as of 2009), Guidolin finally ended his second time in Palermo.
In October 2007, Guidolin was reportedly approached by the new owners of English Championship side Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
to become the club's new manager, after the poor start to the new season bought about the sacking of John Gregory. He later confirmed the rumours linking him to QPR, claiming he would be pleased with a professional move to England. A few days later he was however reported to have refused the QPR job due to personal issues.
On 26 November 2007 Guidolin was unexpectedly appointed back at the helm of the rosanero, replacing Stefano Colantuono
Stefano Colantuono
Stefano Colantuono is an Italian football manager, currently in charge as head coach of Atalanta.-Playing career:...
and joining the Sicilian club for a record fourth time. However, he was axed once again on 24 March 2008 as he only managed to achieve 18 points in 17 matches, after three consecutive defeats, the latter followed by controversial post-match comments in which he criticized the team fanbase. Despite such comments and poor team performances in his last stint as Palermo boss, Guidolin is still today hailed as one of the club legends and was warmly welcomed during his Stadio Renzo Barbera
Stadio Renzo Barbera
Stadio Renzo Barbera is a football stadium in Palermo, Italy. It is currently home of U.S. Città di Palermo football team. The stadium was inaugurated on January 24, 1932 and was named Stadio Littorio in homage to the Fascism. The opening match was Palermo vs Atalanta, with Palermo winning 5–1...
return, this time as Parma manager.
Parma and Udinese
On 30 September 2008 he signed a contract by ParmaParma 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...
, replacing Luigi Cagni
Luigi Cagni
Luigi "Gigi" Cagni is an Italian football former player and current manager of Vicenza in Serie B.- Player :Cagni, a defender, made his Serie A debut for Brescia in 1970, in a league match lost 4-0 to Cagliari...
and guiding the ducali to a runners-up place in the 2008–09 Serie B and an immediate promotion back into the top flight. He was confirmed at the helm of Parma for 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...
season, where he enjoyed a good start with the team constantly in the top ten for the first half of the season.
At the end of the 2009–10 season, after guiding Parma to a mid-table finish, he resigned in order to become new head coach of 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....
.