Welcome back Davide Ballardini. Last in charge Sept 2008-May 2009. He was the last head coach before I started paying attention, under the short reign of Zenga. He managed to beat both Roma and Juventus (the first time getting an away win against Juve in Serie A in 47 years) Palermo finished 8th that season. Beware though, the second manager of the season rarely seem to get as much leeway as the first (except in the not so rare instances of the first manager being fired almost immediately)
http://www.football-italia.net/76747/palermo-evaluating-iachini-recall Start the Iachini Ressurectionwatch. I think Iachini with proper striker/attacking mid reinforcements on January 1 is enough to salvage the season.
Rumors, but believable ones http://www.football-italia.net/77083/ballardini-survives-palermo-christmas Merry Christmas, Ballardini, you're job is temporarily safe.
Today is Ballardini's birthday. Reports all over that he has been fired. #happybirthday all reports also saying its iachini coming back #sopalermo
Ballardini's record: 1W 1D 3L. Only team he beat was relegation zone Frosinone. Worst part is that Palermo has already started the process of selling off the players that were loyal to Iachini. Hopefully he'll have a chance to get new players in their place.
So it turns out that Ballardini got a stay of execution because (reportedly) Zampa and Iachini had an argument on the phone over transfer policy. I don't expect it to last long.
Why hasn't this club been turned into a soap opera or reality show yet? The drama has been more exciting than the product on the field so far...
Sorrentino had some rough things to say about Ballardini after the match. Sorrentino: "Ballardini didn't speak with us neither before nor after the match."— Enzooooo (@ViciniLo) January 10, 2016 Sorrentino "I wont allow nobody to doubt integrity or professionalism of this group Nobody should be allowed to think ill of our commitment"— Enzooooo (@ViciniLo) January 10, 2016 Sorrentino: "Today the squad played and won alone, without having prepared for the match in the best of ways."— Enzooooo (@ViciniLo) January 10, 2016 Sorrentino: "I dont know who will come after Ballardini. Whoever comes will have the full support of the group."— Enzooooo (@ViciniLo) January 10, 2016 The club published the remarks on the official website. Not a good sign for Ballardini
http://www.football-italia.net/78181/zamparini-i-wont-sack-ballardini Unbelievably, Zampa says Ballardini is safe "for the moment." There's no excuse for that. Ballardini had zero interest in winning today, and he made that clear in his behavior during the game. Sorrentino also made it plain for all to see that the lead up was no different.
Now the rumors are that Fabio Viviani will replace Ballardini. Viviani was previously an assistant for Iachini, but has never managed a Serie A team before. His best team finished lower midtable in Serie B, with another stint ending with him being fired halfway through a Serie B relegation season. He was however previously an assistant for Edy Reja for several years, if that counts for anything. I don't really know anything about him, but this is either an inspired choice, or a death sentence for Palermo.
In a whirlwind of rumors that the news couldn't keep up with, Guillermo Barros Schelotto has been appointed manager, effective immediately. Viviani will be in charge this weekend, and then remain as an assistant to GBS. Interesting choice to say the least. First non-Italian manager hired by Zamparini (which is an astounding fact, when you think about the number of managers he has hired). First non-Italian for Palermo in 50 years
I liked watching him when he played in MLS, save for when he played against the Fire. No idea what his connection to Palermo is, but I actually think it might work out based on nothing more than watching him play.
http://www.football-italia.net/78219/zamparini-‘schelotto-palermo’ I guess that means it's a two-headed manager situation until the end of the season so Schelotto gets his feet wet. Six months gives Zamp plenty of time to sack him.
Yeah I've seen that report, which seems different than what Palermo announced, with Zampa saying it would be Schelotto by next week against Udinese. But my Italian isn't good enough to really figure it out. Football Italia is the only source I can find saying anything about June still. Schelotto has plenty of experience managing (though none in Italy), I don't see why he would need a co-manager.
Ballardini has supposedly contacted Zamparini to discuss terminating his contract, as a result of not getting the signings he wanted. Presumably a striker is part of the reason (missing out on Balotelli is one thing, not having a backup in place when that happened is another), but so is not signing a veteran goalkeeper, something the two men have openly disagreed upon. Zamparini has been adamant all window that the kids are good enough. That may well be, but it sure doesn't feel that way. It's going to take breakout seasons from one or two of them for this team to even hope to survive, much less mount any serious push for comfort.
You know, with how many coaches Zamp has terminated over the past year alone, I kind of forgot that coaches can also just leave. Looks like another long year ahead...
I've become slightly more optimistic about this team as the transfer window came to a close, as the team now appears to have a very solid back three and two good wingbacks. The midfield also looks like it should be ok. I have hope that this will compensate for the gaps up front and the possible problems in net. Which is to say, I think Ballardini is 100% right in his complaints about the lack of a veteran goalkeeper and a striker who has a proven goalscoring record. Posavec looks like he should be perfectly good in goal, and it worked alright for Milan last year, but having a veteran presence as a backup can't hurt. I don't think Ballardini was even looking to replace Posavec as a starter, just get in a mentor for him.
Ballardini is gone, he left without making any statement to the press, while Roberto De Zerbi is apparently the new Palermo manager, and was at training today, though Palermo haven't issued a statement about either event yet.