Alberto Zaccheroni Italian football manager, leading coach of Juventus Date of Birth: 01.04.1953 Country: Italy

1. Alberto Zaccheroni - Italian Football Manager
2. Early Career
3. Success with Milan
4. Stints at Lazio and Inter
5. Later Career

Alberto Zaccheroni - Italian Football Manager

Alberto Zaccheroni is an Italian football manager, best known for his time as the head coach of Juventus. He is one of the few coaches who have worked with all three of Italy's leading clubs - Juventus, Milan, and Inter.

Early Career

Zaccheroni began his career coaching in lower Italian leagues, managing clubs such as Chezenatico, Riccione, Boca San Lanzaro, and Baracca Lugo. He then went on to lead Venezia, Bologna, and Cosenza, of which he said, "It is the most beautiful club in my career."

In 1995, Zaccheroni took over Udinese and implemented a 3-4-3 formation, inspired by Zdenek Zeman. He first used this tactic in a match against Juventus when one of Udinese's defenders was sent off. He continued to use this formation in all his teams, transforming it into a 3-4-2-1 during attacks, allowing Udinese players to have a numerical advantage in certain areas of the field. In the 1997-1998 season, Udinese finished 3rd in the league, and their striker Oliver Bierhoff became the top scorer. Following this success, Zaccheroni was invited to manage Milan.

Success with Milan

Zaccheroni's first season with Milan, which was the club's centenary year, resulted in winning the Scudetto (Serie A title), surpassing the leading team Lazio after an impressive sprint of 7 consecutive victories in the final 7 matches. However, the following season was not as successful as Milan finished only 3rd and were eliminated early from the UEFA Champions League. In the middle of the 2000-2001 season, Silvio Berlusconi dismissed Zaccheroni after another defeat in the Champions League to Paris Saint-Germain. Zaccheroni's relationship with Milan's main boss was tense, as Berlusconi constantly criticized his tactics of playing with three zonal defenders, comparing Zaccheroni to a weaver who needed good fabric but couldn't weave it himself.

Stints at Lazio and Inter

In 2001, Zaccheroni took over Lazio, replacing the fired Dino Zoff. However, his time at the Roman club was not successful. Lazio lost the derby against Roma, and the fans criticized Zaccheroni for his cautious style of play. Lazio finished 6th under Zaccheroni's management, earning the last UEFA Cup spot. After the season, he was replaced by Roberto Mancini.

In 2003, Zaccheroni joined Inter, replacing Hector Cuper after just 7 rounds. He had an impressive start at Inter, winning 7 out of 8 matches, and eventually led the team to a 4th place finish and qualification for the UEFA Champions League. However, despite this success, Inter's president Massimo Moratti decided to part ways with Zaccheroni, replacing him with Roberto Mancini once again.

Later Career

After leaving Inter, Zaccheroni spent two years without a job. He was considered the top candidate for the Crystal Palace managerial position in England, but the deal did not materialize. On September 7, 2006, Zaccheroni signed a contract with Torino. Despite an initial series of victories, including a win against Empoli on the club's centenary day, the team faced a string of defeats. Zaccheroni was eventually dismissed on February 26, 2007, after six consecutive losses.

On January 29, 2010, Zaccheroni was appointed as the head coach of Juventus, signing a contract until the end of the season. At Juventus, Zaccheroni immediately implemented his traditional 3-4-3 formation and built the team around it.