Eusebio Di Francesco is the new Hellas Verona coach, succeeding Ivan Juric on the bench. The Scaligeri cast a wide net once their previous coach opted to join Torino. They bet on the Italian gaffer’s desire to bounce back after two rough stints with Sampdoria and Cagliari. They had done the same two years ago with the Croatian gaffer, who had struggled at Genoa. They finished tenth in 2020-21 and were never involved in the relegation struggle.
Di Francesco has run into major troubles in his last two stops after being sacked by Roma in 2019. He lasted only seven matches at Sampdoria, picking up one win and six losses to open the season. He was hired by Cagliari last summer, and his team fell into a hole from December on after an okay start. He was axed in late February after collecting three wins, six draws, and 14 defeats in the first 23 rounds. The Sardinians managed to avoid the drop only thanks to a late push helmed by Leonardo Semplici, who was confirmed.
According to local reports, Di Francesco was picked also because he did not suggest overhauling the roster, differently from other candidates Vincenzo Italiano and Alessio Dionisi. He pipped Igor Tudor at the post. He mostly used 4-3-3 when he burst onto the scenes a few years back at Sassuolo. However, he has already relied on schemes based on a three-man defense, which fits the Verona roster better, during his time in Rome and Cagliari.