Udinese have officially appointed Andrea Sottil as their new coach. He replaces Gabriele Cioffi on the bench, who will join Verona in the coming days. He had taken over in December, leading the Friuliani to a comfortable 12th-placed finish.
The Scaligeri denied having paid a compensation for their next gaffer despite some rumors. In any case, they managed to strike a deal on personal terms with the former assistant. The Bianconeri inquired about a few candidates before choosing the up-and-comer.
Sottil is returning to Udinese as he played for them for four years between 1999 and 2003, collecting 115 total appearances. He penned a one-year contract with an optional second season, the team announced.
The 48-year-old cut his teeth in the lower leagues at length before reaching Serie A. He began coaching in 2011 at Siracusa in Lega Pro, then helmed Gubbio and Paganese. He headed back to the Aretusei when they had dropped to Serie D, leading them back to the pros. After that, he conquered the promotion from the third to the second division with Livorno. He did not stay and signed with Catania, where he did not fare as well.
The manager got his first taste of Serie B with Pescara in the summer of 2020, avoiding relegation through the playout after being hired late. He was not retained, though, and Ascoli chose him a year later. He was finally able to guide a team for an entire campaign in 2021/2022, achieving the best result of his young career.
The Marchigiani finished 6th and lost to Benevento in the first round of the playoff. Udinese had to negotiate with his former side to free Sottil from his contract. He could bring some tactical changes in Friuli as he generally uses a four-man defense.