Team president, maybe. Depends on what you want your GM to do...is it business guy or technical director/player personnel type guy? But he's a New York guy. They could very well have been impressed with him and offered him a chance to move back and be in on this. Or he could be legitimately "retiring" as the story said. I don't know exactly how old he is, but he had a 30+ year career in TV and must be in his late 50s at least.
Worried about what? That the league is on shaky ground and so he bailed? He has only been on the job 556 days, by my count, but the guy who gets the thing up and running doesn't always stick around for the next phase. And he and his wife did move from NY to Miami to do this, perhaps they really did just want to go back to NY. Or perhaps the Cosmos poached him. But I wouldn't be "pretty worried." Not yet. There would have to be other indications of instability or financial distress before I'd be "pretty worried." If they go hire someone who has a track record and ability and charisma and name recognition, it would tend to lend credence to the idea that they're not under pressure.
Or the NASL coach of the year News Ricky Hill Named NASL Coach of the Year Hill led Rowdies to 2nd Place Regular Season Finish
Cosmos could probably pay Hill more than the Rowdies do. How long is Ricky's contract with Tampa? And of course, there is a precedent of Rowdies coaches going to Cosmos. LOL
Even the most rational ones (if there is such a thing) would probably not deem Ricky Hill - who was nowhere two years ago - to be up to their standards. It's not like this is some emerging managerial talent who's going to be on the scene for the next 20 years.
According to some reports, Bruno Giordano has been interviewed for the Head Coach position of the New York Cosmoshttp://www.ilmattino.it/articolo.php?id=225013&sez (Italian) http://www.cittaceleste.it/notizie/lasquadra/notizia/item/2222-giordano-cosmos-aspetto-una-chiamata (Italian) “Just got back from the United States two days ago, where I spoke with the president, already coming to an agreement in principle. The project convinced me, now I’m waiting for their call. I’ll leave with my family, happy to have a new football experience in the USA. I feel a strong desire to return to coaching, I think I can give anything in this world.”
"In 1980 he was arrested for participating in a betting scandal and banned from the Italian championship until 1982." Is that true?
Totonero 1980 or Totonero was a scandal of match fixing in Italy in 1980 in Italian Serie A and Serie B. It was uncovered on 23 March 1980 by the Guardia di Finanza, after the spalling of two Roman shopkeepers, Alvaro Trinca and Massimo Cruciani, who declared that some Italian football players sold the football-matches for money. The principal protagonists in this scandal were Milan, Lazio, Perugia, Bologna, Avellino (Serie A), Taranto and Palermo (Serie B). Enrico Albertosi (Milan); 4 years (disbar in original punishment). Bruno Giordano (Lazio); 3 years and 6 months (1 year and 6 months in original punishment). Lionello Manfredonia (Lazio); 3 years and 6 months (1 year and 6 months in original punishment). Giuseppe Savoldi (Bologna); 3 years and 6 months. Giuseppe Wilson (Lazio); 3 years (disbar in original punishment). Paolo Rossi (Perugia); 2 years (3 years in original punishment).[1] Stefano Chiodi (Milan); 6 months. Oscar Damiani (Napoli); 3 months (4 months in original punishment).
Hiring someone with no knowledge of American lower division soccer has proven to be a questionable decision at best. Just ask Edmonton. But I am sure the Cosmos fans won't be deterred. Quite a few foreign coaches have also struggled in MLS.
Eddie Firmani (even at 80) would be a better selection I am afraid than someone like Giordano. I feel bad for Bruno if he is in fact in touch with the Cosmos team. They must have blown so much smoke that he thinks this is a real, can't miss, opportunity. Bet they didn't show him the stadium out on Long Island, just a glitzy tour of Manhattan and their plans to control their player and media rights along with future global soccer domination.
The key is to have a manager who has experience with any soccer level in the US, whether that be at the college, youth, national team, or professional level. The new Cosmos are unlikely to spend just as recklessly as Warner was with the old Cosmos. This point is really important and there are only a few foreign coaches who have the understanding of the american game to be successful. One of the few foreign coaches that would be a good fit would be Carlos Queiroz. Even though he didn't last in New York, he also worked with US Soccer for a while. Even though it was a while ago, he probably has what it takes to succeed with the Cosmos in NASL. He would also have the name recognition that they would be looking for, having managed Real Madrid and Portugal. He is currently managing Iran.
Given it would make no sense at the D2 level and given it's impossible at the D1 level, you're really going out on a limb there.
Which makes hiring an expensive foreign coach an even more baffling thing to waste your money on. Maybe my assumption that he is expensive is wrong, but I doubt it.
given his participation in the toto nero match fixing scandal, we know he's not afraid to make an extra buck
i can't believe no one is calling for Eric Cantona to stay on as coach. what is he up to these days anyways?