Whilst backing Massimo Cellino for changing Coach as regularly as he does, Maurizio Zamparini has admitted regretting sacking Stefano Pioli last summer.
Whilst backing Massimo Cellino for changing Coach as regularly as he does, Maurizio Zamparini has admitted regretting sacking Stefano Pioli last summer.
Pioli was removed from the Coaching position at Palermo just two weeks before this Serie A season kicked off. Replaced by Devis Mangia – himself later sacked – Zamparini explained at the time that Pioli’s pre-season training had left him concerned.
However, in seeing the 46-year-old bounce back to take the Bologna hot-seat and lead the Rossoblu on a run of just one defeat from the last 11 played, the President admits he may have acted hastily in removing him from the Rosanero.
“Sacking Pioli?” he recalled, talking to Radio anch’io. “I’m eating the second testicle now, I have already eaten the first.”
However, whilst indicating that he harbours regrets for this particular decision, he has also backed fellow President Cellino at Cagliari for making his third managerial change of the season.
Sunday saw Davide Ballardini replaced with the returning Massimo Ficcadenti at the Sardinian club – a move by Cellino that Zamp sees sense in.
“It’s a matter of psychology. Often if the team is in trouble, the only option is to shake up the Coaching set-up. Cellino has seen his Cagliari in crisis and acted accordingly.
“I understand it, I do it too, but often the choice pays in the end.”
Like Cagliari, Palermo have now lost three games in a row, but unlike Cellino, Zamparini has indicated that his Coach Bortolo Mutti will be given another chance.
“Mutti arrived to run through to the end of the season. Now we have a tough match against Lecce, which is important.
“We are in a difficult spell at the moment but I’m sure that the team will pull together. I was hoping to reach 40 points, but despite the space given to the number of youngsters we have brought in they have been unable to express themselves so far.
“It’s time to take that step forward.”