Nine clubs resort to the change of coach

It's a known fact that in Italy a coach is made a scapegoat when a team underachieves.

Last season, no fewer than nine Serie A clubs resorted to the change of coach at some stage or another. This represented a marked increase with respect to the previous season, when only five clubs had replaced their man on the bench.

In some cases, a new coach was fundamental for the team's twist of fortunes. Take Chievo for instance. Maurizio D'Angelo, a former club defender, took over the reins from Mario Beretta on the 36th day at a time when the team was heading down to the Serie B.

Two wins and a draw in their last three outings saw D'Angelo steering Chievo to safety. No mean feat for someone with practically no coaching experience.

But, in general, experience counts. Like Beretta, Atalanta's Andrea Mandorlini, Lazio's Mimmo Caso and Roma's Rudi Voeller all received the sack after unsatisfactory results.

The first to be shown the backdoor was the former German striker. He fell victim to Roma's rifts in the dressing room. Neither Luigi Del Neri nor Bruno Conti - Voeller's two successors on the Roma bench - succeeded in reviving the Giallorossi's fortunes later on in the course of the season.

Roma were never expected to challenge for the scudetto. However, it was strange to find them still entangled in the drop zone up to the penultimate day of the season. Finishing runners-up in the Coppa Italia and qualification to the UEFA Cup was a meagre consolation for them.

Under Mandorlini, Atalanta simply could not get going.

Their only error was in holding on to the ex-Inter defender for so long because as soon as new coach Delio Rossi took over, Atalanta not only revived their slim hopes of survival but came within a whisker of saving their status.

Rossi will be in charge of Lazio next season. In 2004/05, the team from the capital started with Caso at the helm but after a promising start, things went from bad to worse.

It was a wise move by Lazio to axe Caso and instead appoint Giuseppe Papadopulo. Had Caso stayed longer Lazio would have probably ended up in division two.

Big spenders Fiorentina risked heavily. They were expected to challenge for a UEFA Cup spot, the least, but instead managed to stave off relegation only on the very last day of the championship.

Fiorentina started under the charge of Emiliano Mondonico. But the team lacked cohesion and drive. Mondonico's successor, his former assistant Sergio Buso, failed to ignite the players' hopes.

To a certain extent, even Fiorentina's next coach - Dino Zoff - failed to get the best out of his team. The Viola could not emerge from the red zone for most of the season... much more was expected of them.

The change of coach did pay desired dividends for Parma and Livorno though.

Livorno, in particular, made a remarkable recovery since ex-Milan midfielder Roberto Donadoni took over from Franco Colomba. Had Livorno been more consistent towards the end of the season, then they would have made a serious challenge for a UEFA Cup berth.

Siena improved a lot under Luigi Di Canio. Although his merits should not be underestimated, one has to point out that Siena acquired a number of quality players during the January transfer window and, obviously, this facilitated Di Canio's operate.

Brescia, too, showed signs of recovery after Alberto Cavasin replaced Gianni De Biasi. However, that was not enough to see them through as on the last day they were doomed.

Pietro Carmignani's Parma needed a dramatic play-off win over Bologna to extend their stay in Serie A. They were off to a stuttering start under Silvio Baldini and Carmignani was instrumental in their course for survival.

From the three relegated sides, only Bologna kept faith in the same coach - Carlo Mazzone.