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| Cesare Prandelli | |
|---|---|
| Name | Cesare Prandelli |
| Birth date | 19 August 1957 |
| Birth place | Orzinuovi, Italy |
| Occupation | Football coach, former player |
| Nationality | Italian |
Cesare Prandelli is an Italian football coach and former professional midfielder who managed clubs and national teams across Europe and Asia, noted for tactical flexibility and player-centric management. He rose from a playing career in Serie B and Serie A to prominence as a manager with clubs like Atalanta B.C., Fiorentina, and as head coach of the Italy national football team, later taking roles with Galatasaray S.K., Valencia CF, Al-Nasr SC (Dubai), and Bologna F.C. 1909. His reputation blends Serie A experience, international tournaments such as the UEFA Euro 2012 and FIFA World Cup, and connections with prominent players and managers across European football.
Born in Orzinuovi in Lombardy, he began his youth career at Atalanta B.C. before debuting as a midfielder in the late 1970s, featuring for clubs including Modena F.C. 2018, SPAL, Genoa C.F.C., and Juventus F.C.'s contemporaries in Serie B and Serie A circuits. He played in competitive matches against sides such as AC Milan, Inter Milan, SSC Napoli, AS Roma, and S.S. Lazio, facing players from the eras of Diego Maradona, Michel Platini, Paolo Maldini, Roberto Baggio, and Franco Baresi. Injuries curtailed his top-level longevity, leading to retirement and a transition into coaching with roots in the youth setups of Atalanta B.C. and other Italian clubs known for player development like ACF Fiorentina and A.C. Milan's academy models.
Prandelli's approach combined concepts from Arrigo Sacchi, Giovanni Trapattoni, and contemporary tacticians such as Marcello Lippi and Carlo Ancelotti, favoring organized defensive shapes with possession phases reminiscent of Tiki-taka adaptations used by FC Barcelona under Pep Guardiola. He employed variations of 4–3–1–2 and 4–3–3 formations to balance the influence of playmakers like Andrea Pirlo, wingers in the mold of Giacomo Bonaventura and Stephan El Shaarawy, and strikers akin to Alessandro Del Piero or Mario Balotelli. Emphasis on man-management echoed the methods of Johan Cruyff and Luis Enrique, integrating sports science from institutions such as CONI and coaching education frameworks of the UEFA Pro Licence. Tactical sessions often focused on transitional pressing, zonal marking as practiced by Spain national football team setups, and set-piece organization influenced by trends in German football under managers like Jürgen Klopp and Joachim Löw.
After youth roles, he managed clubs across Italian football including Parma Calcio 1913's rivals and regional teams, achieving promotion campaigns reminiscent of Sampdoria's ascents and rebuilding projects comparable to those led by Gian Piero Gasperini at Atalanta B.C.. His tenure at Fiorentina saw signings and tactical evolution involving players such as Stevan Jovetić, Matías Fernández, Kevin-Prince Boateng, and Gonzalo Rodríguez, competing against Juventus F.C., Internazionale, AC Milan, and Napoli. He navigated challenges including transfer-market constraints paralleling situations at Udinese Calcio and financial fair play debates involving the UEFA regulatory environment, implementing youth promotion strategies akin to ACF Fiorentina's academy collaborations and scouting networks similar to S.S.C. Napoli and AS Roma.
Appointed head coach of the Italy national football team he succeeded Marcello Lippi and inherited a squad blending experience from Juventus F.C., AC Milan, Inter Milan, AS Roma, and SSC Napoli. At UEFA Euro 2012 his team reached the final, defeating Germany national football team in the semi-final after extra time, with performances from players such as Gianluigi Buffon, Andrea Pirlo, Daniele De Rossi, Antonio Cassano, and Mario Balotelli, ultimately losing to Spain national football team in the final. His tenure included qualification campaigns for FIFA World Cup cycles, tactical rotations addressing competition from England national football team, France national football team, and Netherlands national football team, and highlighted controversies over squad selection debates involving veterans like Alessandro Del Piero and emerging talents akin to Ciro Immobile.
Post-Italy, he took managerial roles abroad including in La Liga with Valencia CF, in the Süper Lig with Galatasaray S.K., and in the UAE Pro League with Al-Nasr SC (Dubai), engaging with transfer targets similar to those pursued by Real Madrid CF, FC Barcelona, and Manchester United F.C.. His international assignments brought him into contact with continental competitions such as the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and regional tournaments aligned with AFC and CONMEBOL calendars, and he worked under club governance structures resembling those at Paris Saint-Germain F.C. and Manchester City F.C.. Later, he returned to Serie A with Bologna F.C. 1909, managing squads including players in the mold of Riccardo Orsolini, balancing domestic cup priorities like the Coppa Italia against league objectives in competition with AC Milan and Inter Milan.
Born to a family in Lombardy, he has been noted for public statements on issues paralleling social debates involving figures like Silvio Berlusconi and institutions such as CONI, and for philanthropic gestures similar to those by Francesco Totti and Gianluigi Buffon. His legacy connects to coaching trees including influence on assistants and mentees akin to those of Fabio Capello, Luigi Delneri, and Cesare Maldini lineages, and contributes to discussions in Italian football historiography alongside episodes like the Calciopoli scandal and reforms promoted by FIGC. He is recognized in media coverage by outlets that often cover Italian football alongside personalities such as Pierluigi Pardo, Dario Donato, Gianni Mura, and is categorized among prominent Italian managers of his generation.
Category:Italian football managers