Signs of luxury
But a couple of months ago, the situation with the new contract Luciano was uncertain. Clubs with a much more favorable financial climate showed genuine interest in the 47-year-old specialist. Everyone who is not indifferent to the fate of the “wolves” was seriously worried - to lose a coach who stabilized and significantly improved the situation in the club did not enter into their plans.
But in early January, the team’s administrative director Rosella Sensi reassured the alarmists. The daughter of the president of “Roma” promised tiffozeri as soon as possible to sign a new agreement with Spalletti on improved conditions and kept her word. In addition, the head coach of Jallorossi got two new players at his disposal: right winger Wilhelmsson and universal visionary Tavano. He finally was able to afford unprecedented luxury, like a rotation of the composition. The attacking quartet of Taddei - Perrott - Mansini - Totti in any case required at least an adequate alternative. Now, the steering “Roma” can rightfully look into the future with optimism - a new contract and a qualitative strengthening of the composition contribute to this.
Empolical exploits
A native of the Tuscan town of Certaldo, in the province of Florence, for the first time vividly distinguished himself on the coaching path, removing his native, in fact, Empoli from C1 series to Serie A. By the way, it was in this club that Luciano ended his playing career. Previously, he played for the little-known Entella, La Spezia and Viareggio. Spalletti was not an outstanding player, but at the level of series C he was quoted quite high. There he was known as a hardworking and hardy midfielder.
Having achieved success with Empoli, which he headed two years after the end of his career, Luciano moved to Genoa. However, once in “Sampdoria”, Spalletti did not save his inertia and was dismissed six rounds before the end of the 98/99 championship.
In the next three seasons, Luciano had a chance to work with Venice, Udinese and Ancona. However, notable success in any of the clubs was not. Spalletti gradually began to forget about the empolical exploits. The future mentor of “Roma” had a serious prospect of replenishing a large cohort of middle Italian coaches who regularly change clubs without ambitions.
All the more unexpected was the proposal to return to Udinese. Spalletti rightly reasoned that this was perhaps his last chance not to get lost in the Italian coaching corps and willingly accepted the challenge.
Result for the story
Udins needed such a coach. Spalletti revealed himself as a specialist, able to discern and develop talents in ordinary, it would seem, players. For example, Dino Fava Passaro was never considered a culled forward. But, having fallen under the wing of Spalletti, in the season 03/04 with 12 goals he became one of the best snipers of series A.
The first two years of Luciano’s work at the club brought Udinese sixth and seventh places - nothing impressive, given that the club had been steadily entering the UEFA zone before. But season 04/05 has already entered the history of the Friulian club. The team took fourth place and for the first time received the right to play in the Champions League.
No doubt, Spalletti deftly took advantage of the crisis processes in Roma, Lazio and Fiorentina. These clubs, traditionally claiming a place in the leading quartet, fought for survival that season, and so the path to the Champions League was not too thorny for Udinese. The only serious competitor, Sampdoria, was left behind at the very finish of the season.
However, not everything was so smooth. In particular, the Chilean team leader David Pizarro, because of contractual squabbles with the club management, spent the entire first round in reserve. This, however, did not prevent him from becoming the most useful championship distributor.
The miracles of reincarnation
Incredible success turned the head of President Franco Soldati. The next season, the boss “Udinese” set Spalletti the task of entering the top three winners of Serie A. True, instead of strengthening the composition, he was engaged in its sale. Leaders left the club: Kroldrup, Pizarro and Yankulovsky. Spalletti considered participation in such a farce as inappropriate and terminated the contract with the club, even refusing 450 thousand euros, due to him as a bonus for entering the Champions League.
As a result, instead of making his debut in the main European tournament, Luciano set about lifting the Roma from the ruins, which had been shaking mercilessly the entire previous season. Spalletti went to a team that replaced four coaches in a year and parted due to lack of money with almost all the leading players.
Luciano was not at a loss. He quickly orientated himself in the situation and was able to optimize the situation. “Roma” was forbidden to register new players, but Spallettti did without them. He instilled confidence in the wards, thanks to which many in a completely new way opened up in the eyes of football Italy.
Doni initially positioned himself as Kurchi's successor, however, getting a chance, he took great advantage of him and became the main goalkeeper. Philip Mexes from a promising but unstable young defender turned into the most reliable from behind. Alberto Aquilani felt the confidence of the coach and finally began to justify the generous advances. Amantino Mansini, formerly known as the right eyebrow, revealed himself as an attack wagon capable of operating across the entire width of the field. Simone Perrotta, a supporting midfielder with an attacking bias, played the role of “fantasy” in connection with an injury to Totti. In the end, Francesco himself showed that he could not only organize attacks, but also complete them. The position of the striker pleased him.
Of course, all these amazing reincarnations occurred thanks to the coaching instinct and talent of Luciano Spalletti. Whereas with Capello, the “jallorossi”, taking the scudetto on the move, gradually slipped down, then in the era of Spalletti the opposite is observed. The team gradually and steadily rises in the hierarchy of series A. Young Mexes, De Rossi and Aquilani grow. In their heyday, Kivu, Taddei and Mansini enter. It is highly probable that next season Roma and Spalletti will wage a real fight for the Scudetto.
The other day, Luciano was awarded Oscar del Calcio - a prize for the best coach in Italy according to the Italian Football Players Association (AIC). And in the immediate ambitious plans of Roma, the second, coming Sunday, is the Milan visit and the hope of knocking down the formidable Inter from the victorious leadership pace.