Ermanno Pieroni, the man who discovered former Italy stars Gennaro Gattuso and Marco Materazzi, died today at 76 after a long battle against an incurable disease.
The former Ancona President has given the world of football a host of memories, including the magnificent rise of Perugia from Serie C to Serie A.
The Perugia director discovered the goalkeeper Luca Marchegiani, brought in the young Gattuso, Materazzi and the unknown Hidetoshi Nakata to Perugia.
Pieroni worked with President Luciano Gaucci at Perugia before taking over Ancona, a side he helped climb from Serie C2 to the top flight.
He was first appointed as sporting director and then took over as the patron at Ancona, an adventure that ended with 13 points in Serie A.
The many stories include Goran Pandev’s debut to the presentation of Jardel during Ancona vs. Perugia, when the striker went to thank the wrong set of supporters.
Pieroni worked four years at Arezzo, where he appointed tacticians like Antonio Conte and Maurizio Sarri at the start of their coaching careers.
‘Il Mago’, as he was called at Perugia, was also known for being the protagonist in the many controversies in Italian football, easily provoked and often in conflict with teams, colleagues, journalists and fans.
Pieroni leaves behind his wife Mariolina and five children, four of them from previous relationships.