The Serie A manager rankings are here! With the season just past the halfway mark, let’s dive into which coaches are overachieving, and which are having seasons they’d like to forget.
The Serie A Manager Rankings
20. Stefano Colantuono, Salernitana
Salernitana chose to replace Fabrizio Castori with the worst choice imaginable: a man who has been fired by the club twice in the past three years. Colantuono was most recently the club’s technical director, and he has bizarrely been brought back for another stint as manager.
19. Roberto D’Aversa, Sampdoria
D’Aversa has been in hot water for months now, as he has failed to succeed with his talented squad. A victory over Genoa in the Derby della Lanterna bought him time, but, after a terrible loss to Cagliari, his termination seems imminent.
18. Walter Mazzarri, Cagliari
The man who almost single-handedly relegated Torino last season may finish off another iconic club this year. Mazzarri took over for Leonardo Semplici in September, but the club’s form has not improved, winning just two of 17 league matches.
17. Gabriele Cioffi, Udinese
Don’t look now, but Udinese may soon promote another assistant manager and caretaker. Cioffi replaced his former boss Luca Gotti, and the interim coach has two wins and a draw in his first three matches. The draw was arguably the most impressive result of all, with Udinese stunning Milan at home. While his squad lacks talent compared to other mid-table contenders, Cioffi has impressed early in his tenure.
16. Thiago Motta, Spezia
Despite losing Vincenzo Italiano, Spezia are again punching above their weight. The minnows are sitting just out of the relegation zone, but they are a threat in every match they play to pull an upset. Motta came in with practically zero experience, but he has shown real potential while in Liguria.
15. Andriy Shevchenko, Genoa
Though the Ukrainian manager has yet to win a match at Genoa, the future is bright. The club’s two most recent matches were draws with Atalanta and Sassuolo, and Shevchenko’s side has plenty of talent in the starting eleven to push for a mid-table finish in the future.
14. Alessio Dionisi, Sassuolo
As the man responsible for building Empoli into the new Verona, Dionisi has underachieved so far at Sassuolo. The club has a host of talent, including Italian internationals Giacomo Raspadori and Domenico Berardi, but results have been mediocre since Roberto De Zerbi left for Shakthar. The club currently sits in 13th, but it has the roster to push for a top ten finish.
13. Paolo Zanetti, Venezia
The Venetians have been a pleasant surprise this year. Overwhelmingly picked for relegation in the preseason, the club has managed to pick up points against Roma and Juventus. Led by young star Gianluca Busio and goalkeeper Sergio Romero (yes, that Sergio Romero), Venezia presently sit four points clear of the relegation zone.
Paolo Zanetti is one of the youngest coach in Serie A at just 39 (Thiago Motta same age)
But what I found very interesting about him when reading into his philosophy is that he says he studies coaches from the lower divisions & those younger than him https://t.co/XYqzo0I8jH
— Marco Messina (@IFTVMarco) December 22, 2021
12. Sinisa Mihajlovic, Bologna
Quietly the second-longest tenured manager in the league, Mihajlovic has built a phenomenal attacking side at Bologna. With young talent like Aaron Hickey and Musa Barrow, Bologna is a must-watch every week, and their manager is surely in-line for a high level job in the near future.
11. Aurelio Andreazzoli, Empoli
The 68-year-old is continuing what Dionisi started at Empoli. His side is in exceptional form, sitting in 9th place. After upsetting Napoli in December, Andreazzoli has proven that he is the right man to lead the newly promoted side.
10. Ivan Juric, Torino
After a brilliant stint at Verona, Juric is continuing his rebuilding success at Torino. Even though Italian international Andrea Belotti has missed much of the season, the Toro is playing entertaining football and is much-improved from last year’s brush with relegation.
9. Maurizio Sarri, Lazio
Despite signing Elseid Hysaj and retaining Francesco Acerbi in the offseason, Lazio’s backline has been dreadful. The club has allowed 37 goals so far, and recent results suggest that this trend will continue. Sarri has serious work to do to improve the consistency of his new club.
8. Jose Mourinho, Roma
How quickly did the honeymoon phase end for Mourinho and Roma? The outspoken manager has beaten just one of the top five clubs, while star signing Tammy Abraham has been somewhat disappointing in the first half of the season. Presently, Roma look to be in a fight with Fiorentina for a top-seven finish.
Love this:
Mourinho & his staff spent New Years bringing necessities to the Caritas charity in Rome
pic.twitter.com/yPjQcWuW6m— Italian Football TV (@IFTVofficial) January 2, 2022
7. Igor Tudor, Verona
After Verona lost their first three matches, Tudor was brought in to replace Eusebio Di Francesco. The new manager has excelled, taking 27 points from 17 matches. His success and the emergence of Giovanni Simeone have been monumental for Verona, and he has put together a solid squad that includes Ivan Ilic, Adrien Tameze and Gianluca Caprari.
6. Vincenzo Italiano, Fiorentina
Fiorentina have had a remarkably similar season to Roma, albeit with lesser expectations and lesser talent. Italiano is a fast-rising manager who has worked wonders with his crop of talented forwards that includes Dusan Vlahovic, Riccardo Saponara and Nicolas Gonzalez.
5. Massimiliano Allegri, Juventus
Perhaps Juventus’ fall from grace is not solely on Andrea Pirlo. Under the renowned Allegri, the Bianconeri have continued to struggle, with Alvaro Morata clearly not the long-term answer at forward. This season has seen several inexcusable results, including losses to Empoli and Sassuolo. Allegri’s primary goal will be to fix the offense in the second half of the season.
4. Luciano Spalletti, Napoli
Spalletti’s return to management has been a resounding success, as the 62-year-old has Napoli challenging for the Scudetto in his first season. While the lengthy injury to Victor Osimhen was a huge blow for the club, the Neapolitans’ strong depth and their fascinating offensive system have kept the side firmly in the top four.
3. Simone Inzaghi, Inter
After losing Romelu Lukaku and other key contributors, Inzaghi has continued the magical form of Inter’s title season. He has the reigning champions back in first place, a point ahead of Milan with a game in hand. Notably, Lautaro Martinez, Hakan Calhanoglu and Edin Dzeko are in elite form, leading the way for the Nerazzurri.
2. Stefano Pioli, Milan
Despite numerous injuries and absences, Pioli again has Milan in a comfortable top four position. The young talent in this team is unmatched, and, providing no surprises in the second half, this should be the first season where Pioli’s job is not in jeopardy. While the club’s Champions League run was a let-down, Pioli’s side is again a serious contender at the halfway mark.
1. Gian Piero Gasperini, Atalanta
While Atalanta is not as convincing as in years past, the consistency that Gasperini brings to his club makes him worthy of the top spot. This side’s defense is still a significant weakness, but its offense is still rolling, with Duvan Zapata in stellar form. Gasperini has transformed La Dea from a yo-yo club into a consistent Champions League threat.