Since carrying Sassuolo from Serie B to the Serie A back in 13-14, Italian tactician Eusebio Di Francesco has exceeded expectations by molding the neroverdi into a sleeper for European competition.
The 46-year old Italian had a long successful career in Italy from 1987 to 2005 as a player for Empoli, Lucchese, Piacenza and Roma among others. The midfielder spent most of his time with Piacenza and Roma, appearing in a combined 246 matches, scoring thirty-two goals, according to transfermarkt. After his final professional season in Italian football with Perugia back in 2007, Di Francesco set aside his boots and directed his attention towards making a name for himself as a manager.
Di Francesco started at the post of Serie C2 club Atessa Val di Sangro as sporting director in 2007 before moving to the bench of Lega Pro’s Virtus Lanciano in June 2008. His first coaching gig did not go as planned as he was sacked after 20 matches at the helm for the Lanciano Abruzzo-based club just 6 months into the role. With his managerial career off to a shaky start, the Pescara-born coached his home club for a season and a half from January 2010 to June 2011 before landing his first job in the Italian top-flight with Salento club Lecce. Unfortunately for Di Francesco, his debut season in Serie A ended abruptly as he was sacked due to poor results less than six months in. At this point, it was unclear as where he would land next given the uncertainty to finish an entire season.
In the summer of 2012, it was Sassuolo who came courting Di Francesco’s services, agreeing to terms with the Italian tactician. At the time, the neroverdi were playing in the second division of Italian football and had aspirations of earning their first ever promotion to the Serie A. Sure enough, the 2012-13 season was one for the history books as the black and green club soared to a Serie B title, outlasting Hellas Verona for the league crown. A young Domenico Berardi and Leonardo Pavoletti were among the men to secure Serie A football for the first time ever in the club’s 90 year history.
Though he was at the heart of the club’s historic season in 2012-13, Di Francesco and his side struggled to make the transition to top-tier football in Italy. He lasted until January 2014 before being sacked by the club, but was then re-appointed in March as replacement coach Alberto Malesani lost five in a row. Once Di Francesco had returned to the post, the youth of the club began to shine and perform to some quality wins, thanks largely to the perennial star forward, Domenico Berardi. The Italian under-21 winger was credited by many as the reason for current Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri’s sacking after he scored four time in a 4-3 burying of A.C. Milan at Mapei Stadium. Berardi went on to score an impressive 16 league goals that season, helping the club narrowly avoid the drop back to Serie B with a 17th place finish.
After a 12th place finish in 2014-15, and over-achieving thus far through March this season, Di Francesco has become one of the hottest coaching prospects in all of Italy. His ability to play fundamental, fluent and simplistic football has caught the attention of Milan who may be taking resumes come June. Di Francesco’s been able to get the most out his squad with an less than average budget compared to the likes of Roma, Juventus and Napoli. Under Di Francesco this season, Francesco Acerbi, Gregoire Defrel, Nicola Sansone and Domenico Berardi are among those at the forefront of the club’s 7th place location. The club has not only been a pain for the Rossoneri, but also some of the top clubs in Italy including Juventus.
Di Francesco, since being first canned by Sassuolo, has proven to be able to overcome failure and develop his craft as a quality manager. He’s given Sassuolo a clear identity on the pitch unlike most small Serie A clubs. Through youth promotion and progressive football centered around possession, Di Francesco has earned the right to at least have his name in the discussion for a big club, but then there is the old saying “big fish in a small pond.”
While it’s uncertain that he can carry his possession based tactics to a larger club, it’s clearly time to spark debate for Eusebio Di Francesco as the next manager worthy of a promotion, with perhaps Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi keeping close eye this summer should interim boss Cristian Brocchi fail to meet expectations from here on out.
The post Manager Profile: Sassuolo’s Eusebio Di Francesco appeared first on IFD.
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