Italian Coaches Dominate Serie A, Exuding a Strong Primordial Spirit

Fiorentina's decision to appoint Stefano Pioli to replace Rafael Palladino further emphasizes the spirit of primordialism in Serie A. There has been a tendency for native Italian coaches to only move between local clubs.

The pattern is also quite similar. When dismissed by their former club, local coaches will seek new opportunities with other Italian clubs. It is not uncommon for them to return to the same club a few seasons later after being dismissed.

Pioli only lasted nine months managing the wealthy Saudi Arabian club, Al Nassr. The 59-year-old coach did not take long to find a new job.

Serie A has always had a place for local coaches, and Pioli feels called back there. Coincidentally, Fiorentina is currently seeking a replacement for Rafael Palladino, who resigned in May. An agreement was reached, and Pioli has been contracted for three seasons.

Pioli previously coached Fiorentina from 2017 to 2019. He did not achieve any notable accomplishments during the two seasons. Fiorentina consistently occupied a mid-table position. However, he has a strong bond with the city and the players due to the tragic sudden death of team captain Davide Astori.

"From the very first words, I saw the good values and the desire to fight for this club and this city, which he knows very well. My family, and everyone at Fiorentina, welcome Stefano's return, and we wish him the best for this new adventure in the Viola jersey," said Fiorentina President Rocco Commisso, as quoted by Football Italia, Saturday (12/7/2025).

Pioli's return to Fiorentina is not an unusual occurrence in Serie A. This competition is indeed known for being very welcoming to coaches of Italian origin.

Every season, we are accustomed to following news about Italian coaches who are dismissed and then manage to secure new clubs in Serie A. It is also not uncommon for clubs to rehire coaches they had previously dismissed a few seasons earlier.

This trend makes Serie A resemble a perpetual circulation hub for Italian coaches. In addition to Pioli, there are also elite coaches such as Antonio Conte and Massimiliano Allegri who are rotating in managing the giant clubs of Serie A.

There is no prohibition against foreign coaches in Serie A; however, clubs prefer to recruit local coaches. Last season, there were only seven foreign coaches among the 20 participating clubs in Serie A.

This situation is in stark contrast to the English Premier League, where there are only three native English coaches. Foreign coaches are, in fact, more trusted to manage teams in the English League.

The tendency to employ local coaches is not only affecting clubs but also the Italian national team. Throughout its history, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has almost always appointed local coaches.

The latest development is the appointment of Gennaro Gatuso as the coach, replacing Luciano Spalletti. The only foreign coach who has ever managed the Italian national team is Lajos Czeizler. The Hungarian-born coach led the "Azzurri" from 1953 to 1954.

The tendency of Italian clubs to prefer hiring local coaches can be understood through a historical lens. At least since 2000 to the present, the achievements of foreign coaches have not been as successful as those of native Italian coaches in Serie A.

Among the many foreign coaches who have been involved in Serie A, only Sven-Goran Eriksson and Jose Mourinho have conquered Italian soil. Eriksson led Lazio to win the Serie A title in 2000, while Mourinho delivered a treble in a single season in 2010.

The achievements of Italian coaches over the years have influenced the clubs' confidence in foreign coaches. Native Italian coaches are believed to have a much greater potential for success in their homeland.

In addition to factors of trust and history, the highly tactical nature of Serie A is a consideration for clubs to prioritize local coaches more. In Serie A, a coach must be consistent with the tactics they adhere to. They must also not be easily swayed by external influences. This is because Serie A places greater emphasis on tactical selection rather than playing style and ideology.

Because the league is highly tactical, what often occurs in Serie A is a tactical battle. The ensuing discourse is about which coach's tactics can lead the team to victory or, conversely, to defeat. Therefore, coaches who lack a clear tactical concept or who tend to speculate are not suited for Serie A.

This explains why Mourinho and Allegri are highly favored in Italy. Mourinho has a clear tactical framework with his pragmatism, and he tends to be consistent. Meanwhile, Allegri is renowned for his "corto muso" approach or the philosophy that winning matches is far more important, even if achieved by a narrow margin.

"When Mourinho was asked what he misses most about Serie A, he always replies with tactical battles. Indeed, our league is a challenging one. For us Italians, the art of coaching is passed down on the field," said the former Director of the Coverciano Coaching School, Renzo Ulivieri.

Coverciano is a specialized coaching school in Italy. From there, Italian coaches are trained with a specific curriculum and must complete a kind of thesis to graduate. The art of coaching, as expressed by Ulivieri, is related to the coaching curriculum at Coverciano.

One of the things taught at Coverciano is a flexible approach to football. Coaches are encouraged to have creative freedom and a broad interpretative capacity.

The coaching candidates at Coverciano study all the most important football philosophies of recent decades. They are then guided to adapt the knowledge they have gained based on their own vision of the game and the characteristics of the players available in the team.

This model teaches flexibility and strives for formal completeness, so that coaches trained in Italy have, at least in theory, the tools to implement and deconstruct all kinds of strategies, building a broad tactical menu to choose the best solutions. It is no surprise that Simone Inzaghi has been able to develop Inter Milan into a formidable team despite being equipped with limited player acquisition resources.

What Inzaghi achieved last season by leading Inter to the Champions League final despite having a squad of ordinary players further highlights that Italian coaches possess considerable capabilities. Thus, it is understandable that the spirit of primordialism is deeply rooted in Serie A.