retired_donna121

On the 10th July 2004 my life changed forever, I was appointed the manager of Serie C side Napoli Soccer.

I was now in charge of a new Napoli. The club, formerly known as Napoli Calcio went bankrupt and they were bought by film producer, Aurelio de Laurentiis. He quickly changed the teams name to Napoli Soccer and started to put plans in place for the 2004/05 season. The team would be playing in Serie C after losing a legal battle to avoid relegation.

Napoli is a very prestigious name in Italian football, during the 1980s they were one of the top teams and had one of the biggest talents in world football, Diego Maradona. In recent times the team has struggled on the pitch and the financial problems have been well documented. None of the fans could quite believe it when the club was declared bankrupt with debts of over 70 million euros. As a city, Naples has a lot of problems. There is a big mafia involvement with daily shootings, unemployment is rising and the people of Naples don't have much to look forward to. Napoli play their football at the San Paolo stadium with a capacity of just over 78,000. Football is a big part of the city and it is hoped that Napoli can find success on the pitch to lift the spirits off it.

retired_donna121

A new start for Napoli
Aurelio de Laurentiis has always had a passion for Naples, his father was born in the city and de Laurentiis remembers the visits to his father's house. "My mum lived in the north of Italy and only in my fathers house were the tomatoes really red."

De Laurentiis has big plans for the club and looks to have the finances to put those plans into action. His business skills are undoubted given his experience in the film industry. "Selling rights is something I can do left-handed. I can get Sky and Murdoch on the phone like that..." A few people will question his football knowledge and certainly his choice of manager. "I understand the importance of serving our nine million Napoli fans worldwide and running this operation like a successful company. I want to create a strong symbol of this city. It's the only way to improve the depressed south of our country."

He certainly seems to be an interesting character and looks committed to the city and its people. "All cities in Italy are black and white, only Naples is in colour."
(Article from Soccer World, July)

retired_donna121

Now, I know what you are all thinking, how did he end up in Naples? Well, let me tell you the story.

Growing up in Scotland I have always been a football fan and very interested in the coaching side of the game, even though rugby was the main sport where I lived. While at college I attended a few coaching courses run through the SFA. These courses enabled me to get some work with the SFA running sessions for the local schools. I enjoyed the sessions and started to get myself a reputation as a good coach as well as a good communicator.

Meanwhile, a Hollywood film was in the making and guess what? It was being filmed in Scotland and it was about football! The film is called 'A shot at Glory' and is available from all good shops and some bad ones too. The film stars Ally McCoist, Robert Duval and Michael Keaton as well as a few Scottish 1st and 2nd division players from about 5-6 years ago. The director of the film was Aurelio de Laurentiis, now the owner of Napoli Soccer. I met Mr de Laurentiis due to my involvement with the SFA, a few of the coaches had been asked to help out with the film. We were getting paid next to nothing to make sure the matches used in the film looked as good as they could, I didn't mind the money being rubbish because I was getting to meet some great people and have a lot of fun. I came into contact with Mr de Laurentiis on a daily basis and we became great friends, we both shared a passion for football. I think his passion for the game was the reason he agreed to direct the film because it wasn't going to do a lot for his CV.

He used to talk a lot about trying to get involved with the game, he had made enough money from his films to indulge in his passion and that’s exactly what he did when he rescued Napoli. When I heard the news I was delighted for him, I was in my second year of my role as Coaching Co-ordinator for the SFA. I was enjoying the job but I wasn't involved in the coaching as much as I wanted, I was doing a lot of paperwork and a lot of my time was spent on the phone making sure my coaches were doing what they should be.

To say I was shocked to receive the phone call would be an understatement. However, within five minutes of putting the phone down I had managed to pull myself together and get my flight booked. From that moment on I was happy to call Aurelio de Laurentiis, Chairman.

retired_donna121

Having never managed a football team before I had to learn fast, the coaching side didn't worry me but the day to day running of the club would take a while to get used to. Luckily, the chairman likes to be involved, for some managers this might be a nuisance but I was happy to have him there. He spoke good English, as did a couple of the coaches at the club, this was a huge bonus because my Italian was pretty poor.

My first day at work was the 10th July, our first league game wasn't until the 12th September but I was told that there would be some Italian Cup games before that. This gave me about two months before the action started and I had until the end of August to get any players that I wanted into the club. The chairman had given me £960,000 to spend on players, I knew that it was a huge amount of money for a club in Serie C1/B and I had to spend it well. With the finances of the club and the fact that we were probably a Serie B team in disguise, everyone expected promotion. If I didn't deliver early on I knew I would be under pressure, the fans weren't happy with my appointment and they made that quite clear. What does a Scotsman know about Italian football? was the most popular question amongst them. To be honest, I didn't know a lot about Italian football but I was willing to learn.

That afternoon I had a meeting with my coaches and scouts to decide on our plans for new players. A lot of the players in the squad weren't playing for Napoli last season so this season was going to be their first with the club. I would be looking to add some more new players so it was going to take a while for the players to get to know each other. I wanted to get the new players in quickly so that they had time to settle at the club. We all agreed that the squad needed strengthening in every position with the defence a priority. The squad looked to be lacking experience as well as numbers, we had a squad of 29 with six of those players on loan, there were also a couple of co-owned players. I set my scouts to work.

July 2004
----------------
During July I brought in four players as well as a new assistant. Maurice Malpas arrived from Dundee Utd, I knew Maurice quite well and was looking forward to working with him. The arrival of Maurice would also help me settle in the country, he was coming across with his family and was looking forward to the experience. On the playing side I managed to strengthen the defence. Moreno Torricelli and Gianluca Festa both arrived on free transfers with 1-year contracts. I had a new goalkeeper in the shape of Biler Recep who was purchased from Fenerbahce for £150,000. He looked to be a decent signing and at the age of 23 was already pushing for a place in the Turkish squad. Federico Magallanes was the fourth signing of the month, a Uruguayan international striker who also arrived on a free transfer.

I was quite happy with the events during July and we remained unbeaten, this was mainly due to us not actually playing any games. August would be a big month with a few friendlies already arranged and the Italian Cup draw still to be made. I wanted to make a real impact at Napoli and I was chasing a player that might just do that.

retired_donna121

August 2004
------------------
The player in question had a name that would bring back great memories for Napoli fans. Marcio Sousa Maradona is a young midfielder, born in the Portuguese town of Guimaraes. I admit that his name was the first thing that got my attention but luckily my scouts informed me that he could play a bit too. I was excited by the prospect of parading this player in front of our fans but I hadn't accounted for his agent. Porto had accepted my offer for the player but after five meetings with the player and his representatives we could not come to an agreement. I wasn't prepared to spend the entire wage budget on one player.

Not put off by being rejected I managed to bring in a further four players during August. Milan Rapaic arrived on a free transfer, the Croatian forward had impressed while on trial and I rewarded him with a 2-year deal. The defence was bolstered with two players who knew a bit about Italian football, Matteo Contini arrived from Parma for £240,000 with Serie A experience. Marco Pecorari joined us from Triestina for £80,000. The final signing before the deadline was the experienced attack minded midfielder, Nicola Zanini. I managed to persuade him to return to the club after spending the summer with Genoa.

After all the transfer activity it was time for some football. We had three friendlies before the Italian Cup started. The Italian Cup had seen us drawn alongside Torino, Catania and Viterbese in a group of four, only the winner went through. Torino and Catania are Serie B sides but I would be playing them both at home, Viterbese are a non-league side and we would travel to them first. I was using the friendlies to try and find out my starting line-up for the cup games.

The first game was between the first team and our reserves, I thought this would be a good way of having a look at everyone and so it proved. The coaches and I had split the teams up so that everyone saw some action. The game ended 1-1 with the first team winning on penalties, I was impressed with Rapaic and Sosa as a front pairing. Our next game saw the visit of Newcastle and I learned very little as we lost 4-0, it was a shame for the fans because over 46,000 had turned out to watch the team. We lost Nicola Mora after 15 minutes due to a red card and young midfielder Fabio Gatti was forced to leave the field with a serious injury. Later, Gatti was ruled out for six months with a cruciate injury, a big blow so early in the season. Our final friendly found us on the road as we made the trip to Castel di Sangro. We came away with a confidence boosting 2-1 win, Sosa was the key man with both goals. During the friendlies I had used a 3-5-2 formation and I decided to stick with it for the Cup games.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">(Italian Cup Group 2 from Enrico Rocchi, Att: 4,465)----------------------------------------------------Viterbese 1 : Sardelli (31)Napoli 4 : Sosa (6, 61, 66), Corneliusson (55)MOM - Sosa (Napoli, ATT) </pre>
The scoreline was probably a bit harsh on the home side who created chances against us. Again, Sosa impressed with his hat-trick but our on-loan left back Bonomi also had a good game, creating two of the goals. Our system looked good with Festa playing an important role at the back.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">(Italian Cup Group 2 from San Paolo, Att: 61,726)-------------------------------------------------Napoli 0 :Torino 1 : Mudingayi (66), Quagliarella (Off, 45)MOM - Sorrentino (Torino, GK) </pre>
To coin a phrase 'we was robbed'. Torino scored with their only attempt on target, a deflected free-kick. I thought the game was ours for the taking after the sending off but their ten men made it hard and most of our efforts came from midfield, our strikers just didn't see enough of the ball. I have to pay great credit to the fans, they turned out in huge numbers to support us.

We went into the final group game knowing that we had to win and hope that Torino failed to do the same at home to Viterbese.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">(Italian Cup Group 2 from San Paolo, Att: 44,517)-------------------------------------------------Napoli 3 : Rapaic (35, 71, 86)Catania 1 : Ferrante (23)MOM - Rapaic (Napoli, ATT) </pre>
An impressive win as far as I was concerned. The result wasn't enough to put us through but it was an encouraging result before the start of the league. We came back from a goal down and created a lot of chances, especially in the 2nd half. Rapaic scored two great free-kicks as well as a tap in and linked up well with Sosa.

retired_donna121

September 2004
---------------------
So, the first league was getting closer and I was happy with the way team was looking. Rapaic and Sosa would be my first choice front pair with Magallanes looking an able deputy. I know a lot of Italian teams play quite defensively so it was important we had players who could score that crucial goal. I was disappointed to have lost Gatti from the midfield but we had a number of options. The defence was experienced with Festa and Scarlato in there, by using three at the back it meant that Torricelli would have to work hard to make it into the team.

Here is a closer look at the squad:

Goalkeepers
------------------
BILER RECEP (23, TUR) - Signed from Fenerbahce with the reputation as a good young keeper. Will start the season as first choice.

EMMANUELE BELARDI (26, ITA) - His first season at the club but might have to wait for his chance.

Also - Matteo Gianello (28, Ita) and Antonio Saviano (20, Ita)


Defenders
----------------
MATTEO CONTINI (24, ITA) - Arrived from Parma looking for first team football. Looks like a solid defender and should get his wish.

MORENO TORRICELLI (34, ITA) - Signed on a free to add some experience to the squad.

SALVATORE ACCURSI (26, ITA) - Versatile defender who should be a useful squad player.

NICOLA MORA (25, ITA) - Former U-21 International with a cultured left foot. I am hoping he will make an impression as a wing-back.

GIANLUCA FESTA (35, ITA) - Experienced defender who should provide a solid backbone to the team.

CLAUDIO TERZI (20, ITA) - Young defender on loan from Bologna, will do well to make his way into the team.

GENNARO SCARLATO (27, ITA) - A solid looking defender who can play in a number of positions.

MARCO PECORARI (26, ITA) - Could turn out to be an important signing, adds depth to the defensive cover.

Also - Luigi Piccirillo (20, Ita), Gaetano Avolio (22, Ita) and Alberto Savino (30, Ita)


Midfielders
------------------
SIMONE BONOMI (23, ITA) - Currently on loan from Siena, could become a permanent fixture if he continues his pre-season form. Left footed and can play in defence as well.

TONY VIDIGAL (29, POR) - Portuguese winger who will have to work hard to find his way into the team.

KARL CORNELIUSSON (27, SWE) - Hard working midfielder who should get his fair share of games.

FRANCESCO MONTERVINO (26, ITA) - Club captain this season, defensive midfielder who will be vital to the side.

CATALDO MONTESANTO (27, ITA) - A battling midfielder who adds some bite to the team. Does the simple things well.

NICOLA CORRENT (25, ITA) - The most technical looking midfielder, will be looking to create things when given the chance.

TOLEDO (23, BRA) - On loan from Udinese, looks to have some talent but time will tell.

NICOLA ZANINI (30, ITA) - A former Napoli player, likes to attack and offers something different.

Also - Fabio Gatti (22, Ita) and Leandro Guerreiro (25, Bra)


Attackers
----------------
MILAN RAPAIC (30, CRO) - Signed on a free and looks like a bargain. Gives balance to the attack with his left foot, superb at free-kicks.

FEDERICO MAGALLANES (27, URU) - Another International player who provides great competition for a starting place.

ROBERTO SOSA (29, ARG) - Highest paid player and a lot is expected this season. Great in the air and should get goals.

NICOLA POZZI (18, ITA) - On loan from Milan, young player with a big reputation. Will struggle to find his way into the team.

Also - Massimiliano Varricchio (27, Ita), Emanuele Berrettoni (23, Ita) and Gennaro Esposito (20, Ita)


Our first game in Serie C1/B would be a difficult one, a trip to Teramo. We had been made clear favourites for the game and the media attention was huge. It had been built up into a David vs. Goliath affair, I decided not to get involved in the media circus. I knew that we had some of the best players in the league. It was now up to me to make them play together and give our fans something to cheer about.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">(Serie C1/B from San Paolo, Att: 25,093)----------------------------------------Teramo 1 : Beretta (8)Napoli 2 : Rapaic (58, 88)MOM - Corrent (Napoli, MID) </pre>
It took a late goal to get our season off to a winning start. We created enough chances to win the game comfortably but nearly paid for our sloppy start. Rapaic took his goals well and could have had more. Corrent controlled our midfield and added a touch of class to proceedings.

Next up was a home game against Cittadella, they had drawn their first match. The players were confident after the previous result and everyone was hoping for a big crowd.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">(Serie C1/B from San Paolo, Att: 25,093)----------------------------------------Napoli 4 : Zolin (og, 24), Magallanes (36), Montesanto (45), Sosa (82)Cittadella 1 : Riberto (89)MOM - Bonomi (Napoli, MID) </pre>
A decent crowd watched us make it two wins in a row with a solid performance. The game was over by half-time with the goals being shared around. Our defence gave very little away and restricted the visitors to few attempts.

Despite winning our first two league games there was unrest within the squad. Our Turkish goalkeeper Recep was finding it hard to settle in Italy but said that he was willing to work hard. Swedish midfielder Corneliusson feels that there is too much competition for places and Nicola Zanini thinks that he is being played out of position. Who would be a manager? Don't answer that.

I didn't have too much time to worry about the squad problems because the games were coming thick and fast. We now faced Serie C Cup action, a two-legged tie against Grosseto who played their football in Serie C1/A. The first leg was at home, Grosseto had lost their first two league games so I was hopeful of a win.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">(Serie C Cup 1st Round 1st Leg from San Paolo, Att: 25,019)-----------------------------------------------------------Napoli 2 : Sosa (61), Montesanto (90)Grosseto 2 : Corrent (og, 69), Pellicori (90), Di Meglio (Off, 85) MOM - Montesanto (Napoli, MID) </pre>
This game won't go down as a classic. There were four attempts on target in the whole game, we had three and the visitors one. Recep had a poor game between the sticks and the whole team struggled to get going. Grosseto showed great spirit and took the lead at 2-1 before Montesanto got the equaliser.

After a poor cup performance we looked to bounce back in the league against Padova. There were a few injury problems with Rapaic, Montervino and Magallanes unavailable.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">(Serie C1/B from Euganeo, Att: 25,110)--------------------------------------Padova 1 : La Grotteria (56)Napoli 0 : MOM - Zecchin (Padova, MID) </pre>
A disappointing defeat in front a very impressive crowd. We didn't create enough chances and were certainly lacking invention. Padova played well and took their chance when it came. Zecchin controlled the midfield and deserved his MOM award.

The last game of September was the 2nd leg of the Serie C Cup. More injury problems with Belardi and Vidigal missing. Belardi had taken the gloves from Recep but the Turk gets another chance due to his rival's injury. Reserve team striker Varrichio was brought into the squad to cover for injury.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">(Serie C Cup 1st Round 2nd Leg from Comunale, Att: 348)-------------------------------------------------------Grosseto 0 :Napoli 5 : Toledo (2), Corrent (14), Varrichio (55, 73), Corneliusson (89)MOM - Festa (Napoli, DEF) </pre>
A huge improvement on the first leg, we controlled the game from start to finish. Toledo ran the home defence ragged and Varrichio came off the bench to grab a couple of goals in his first appearance for the club.

retired_sacclover@yahoo

Good start KUTGW :thup:

retired_donna121

October 2004
-------------------
After the cup triumph spirits were high. We were 3rd in the league as we travelled to Vis Pesaro, they occupied 14th place. Nicola Zanini made his first start for the club in a position just behind Sosa as I opted for a more defensive looking 3-5-1-1 formation.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">(Serie C1/B from Tonino Benelli, Att: 5,173)--------------------------------------------Vis Pesaro 1 : Moncino (80)Napoli 3 : Sosa (21), Zanini (58), Varrichio (75)MOM - Festa (Napoli, DEF) </pre>
A fairly even game, the formation worked quite well and we managed to create quite a few chances. Varrichio grabbed his third goal in two games after coming on at half-time.

That win moved us up one place and into 2nd, our next match was against the league leaders Avellino. They were unbeaten after four games with three wins and a draw. We were only a point behind them and my scouts had reported that they were a decent side.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">(Serie C1/B from San Paolo, Att: 25,643)----------------------------------------Napoli 8 : Rapaic (21, 22), Sosa (34, 39, 49, 74, 77, 79)Avellino 0 :MOM - Sosa (Napoli, ATT) </pre>
It's quite hard to describe exactly what happened in this game. We had 12 shots on target and eight went in. The visiting keeper had conceded 14 goals in 5 cup games but won't want to be reminded of this game too often. To be fair, some of our goals were superb and easily my most enjoyable match as Napoli manager. Sosa managed three goals with his head and three with his feet. The players were exhausted after the game and they played as if they had a point to prove.

The directors were delighted with our victory, as were the fans. I think I was still in shock, I had expected a close game and I was genuinely shocked with the result that had taken us to top spot. The players were superb and couldn't wait to get back on to the pitch. The problem was that we had eleven days before our next game.

Due to the layoff, we now faced four games in ten days. Three of those games were against the same team, Benevento. We had been drawn against them in the 2nd round of the Serie C Cup and faced them in the league as well. The league game was first.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">(Serie C1/B from San Paolo, Att: 25,666)----------------------------------------Napoli 0 :Benevento 0 : Voria (Off, 90) MOM - Tchangai (Benevento, DEF) </pre>
I was disappointing for the fans more than anything after this game. Benevento were an average side who were mid-table before the game, they had a good defensive record and I could see why. There were very few chances in the game and both defences were on top.

Benevento didn't actually leave Naples after the game, the 1st leg of the cup tie was taking place in midweek so they just stayed in the city. They used it as a team bonding exercise with a few trip and activities, they used some nearby training facilities and were certainly up for the match.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">(Serie C Cup 2nd Round 1st Leg from San Paolo, Att: 25,018)-----------------------------------------------------------Napoli 0 :Benevento 1 : Capone (77)MOM - Voria (Benevento, DEF) </pre>
This game had fewer chances than the league encounter. We never looked like scoring and Capone took his chance well. So, our fans had gone 180 minutes without seeing a goal after watching eight in one match.

I wasn't too concerned about the cup, the league was our main goal. We had managed to retain top spot despite the 0-0 draw. We made the trip to 7th place Rimini looking to get back on track, surely we hadn't used all of our goals up in one game.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">(Serie C1/B from Romeo Neri, Att: 4,703)----------------------------------------Rimini 1 : Muslimovic (67)Napoli 1 : Sosa (22)MOM - Toledo (Napoli, MID) </pre>
A decent performance from us but I was unhappy with the goal. We created a lot more chances than the previous two games. Toledo was impressive and set-up the goal.

That result meant that we dropped down to 3rd, with a record of 4-2-1 and a goal difference of +14 things were looking pretty good. However, the month ended poorly as we went out of the Cup 2-0 on aggregate, we lost the away leg 1-0 with our captain Montervino sent off. We also lost in the league at Spal, we went down 3-0 and the result hurt. The game was fairly even but we gave away a penalty just before half-time and had Scarlato sent off. They grabbed two further goals in the second half and we went down to nine men after Pecorari was given his marching orders.

retired_donna121

Thanks for the feedback gonzito, nice to know someone is reading. Don't be scared to ask any questions


November 2004
--------------------
November was a quiet month with only three league games scheduled. This gave me a little bit of time to review our start to the season.

Overall, I was happy with the way things were going. We sat 4th in the league and within touching distance of the teams above us, there was no stand out team although Padova have been picking up some impressive results. We were out of both cups already but I wasn't too concerned, the Italian Cup was always going to be difficult with only one team going through from the initial group stage. The Serie C Cup is a piece of silverware but I think the fans would rather have promotion and depending on how we perform this season we might not be playing in the competition again.

The squad is looking quite good and a bit happier than earlier in the season. Bilar Recep has finally settled in the country which is a relief, hopefully he can start keeping a few clean sheets. Corneliusson still feels there is too much competition within the squad but he was getting games so he was content. Finally, Zanini maintains I am playing him out of position but having tried him a number of different positions I am still no closer to finding out what his position his. He is an attack minded midfielder who I have tried behind a front man as well as breaking from a midfield role. To be honest, he has not performing that well and at the moment Toledo keeps him out of the team.

The highlight of our season had to be the 8-0 victory over Avellino. In some ways that result seems to have worked against us. Since the victory we have only managed one goal in five matches, drawing two of those and losing the rest.

Our lack of goals was a slight concern but our three matches this month were all at home. We had been very impressive at home so I was looking for some good performances and a few goals.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">(Serie C1/B from San Paolo, Att: 25,229)----------------------------------------Napoli 1 : Rapaic (pen, 25)Sora 1 : Luciani (74)MOM - Ripa (Sora, GK) </pre>
A game that we should have won. We had two penalties, Zanini missed the first and Rapaic took over the responsibility to convert our second. We had attack after attack but couldn't find that crucial second goal, we were made to pay when Luciani popped up with the equaliser.

So, a disappointing draw, especially at home and we now had fourteen days until our next match. This gave me a chance to get the players ready and have a close look at our tactics. Giulianova were the visitors and I decided to freshen things up a bit. Sosa was rested and warmed the bench, he was replaced by Magallanes who hadn't really had many chances due to the form of Sosa and Rapaic. Bonomi was injured so Mora came in at left wing back.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">(Serie C1/B from San Paolo, Att: 25,516)----------------------------------------Napoli 2 : Greco (og, 48), Corneliusson (67)Giulianova 0 :MOM - Mora (Napoli, DEF) </pre>
Another game where we created a lot of chances but failed to hit the target more often than not. We had a large piece of luck early in the 2nd half when the visiting couldn't hold a Toledo shot and fumbled the ball into the net. This time we got the crucial second goal and a comfortable three points.

We had climbed up to 5th place with that victory and now faced Martina who were struggling in 16th place. Roberto Sosa returned to the starting line-up as we went in search of goals. I wanted us to entertain the fans and I gave the players a bit more freedom within the formation.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">(Serie C1/B from San Paolo, Att: 36,740)----------------------------------------Napoli 2 : Sosa (13, 90)Martina 0 :MOM - Sosa (Napoli, ATT) </pre>
A comfortable win for us even though it wasn't really put beyond doubt until the last minute. Sosa took his goals well, maybe I should rest him more often. The fans turned out in force and should be happy with what they saw. We missed quite a few chances once again but at least we are creating them.

retired_cytaganas

Hey there Jorg, just read through your story and it was an excellent read.

KUTGW mate :thup: