Palermo President Maurizio Zamparini is “working with my lawyers” to terminate Davide Ballardini’s contract.
The Coach didn’t take the team for the weekend fixture with Verona, having fallen-out with the squad, with the Rosanero nevertheless emerging with a win.
Palermo President Maurizio Zamparini is “working with my lawyers” to terminate Davide Ballardini’s contract.
The Coach didn’t take the team for the weekend fixture with Verona, having fallen-out with the squad, with the Rosanero nevertheless emerging with a win.
It was today announced that Guillermo Barros Schelotto will take charge of Palermo next term, but will work with Fabio Viviani until the end of the current season.
“A Coach can’t behave like Ballardini did,” Zamparini fumed in a Press conference.
“I’ll work with my lawyers to terminate his contract. The trust between the team and the Coach has collapsed.
“Ballardini’s mistake was to bar four players from the squad, it wasn’t me who put them out of the squad. He just wouldn’t call them.
“I felt sorry for [Luca] Rigoni, I invited him to return, but he told me he wanted to leave Palermo and I satisfied him.”
Ballardini rowed with goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino ahead of the win over Verona, with reports that Zamparini stepped in to insist he play the captain.
“Ballardini told me he didn’t know whether to play Sorrentino or [Simone] Colombi. I told him our captain had to play, that it didn’t make sense to leave him out.
“I didn’t convince him, so he spoke to [goalkeeping coach Vincenzo] Sicignano and he said Sorrentino.
“They went onto the training pitch and had a discussion, bad words were exchanged and the Coach shouldn’t use profanity.
“They were both in the wrong, when people lose their temper things can go badly, so there was a fight.
“I was warned of this by the team manager, and he told me Sorrentino would be out of the squad.
“I spoke to [sporting director Manuel] Gerolin and told him that if Sorrentino was left out I’d sack him and Ballardini.
“Ballardini already had his last chance against Frosinone. He knew I’d been speaking to [Beppe] Iachini and that I wasn’t convinced, otherwise Iachini would have returned immediately.”
The patron was referring to his attempt to bring back fired Coach Iachini last week, and he elaborated on the failed reunion.
“Iachini wasn’t in the right condition to return to Palermo, I told him to stay at home,” Zamparini explained.
“We have different ideas. I want good players, but I don’t want [Antonio] Nocerino. I’ll ask Iachini to resolve his contract.
“He doesn’t share some of my thoughts, just as I don’t agree with him. I think he thought that he created Palermo.
“When Palermo are doing well or badly, it’s down to the whole club. He thought the success of Palermo was all about him.
“Iachini must return to earth. He flew sky-high with Palermo, and he has to return to what he was.”