Luigi Simoni

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Luigi "Gigi" Simoni (born January 22, 1939) is an Italian football manager and former player, currently in office with Lucchese of Serie C1, and former player.

[edit] Biography

Luigi Simoni was born at Crevalcore (Emilia-Romagna).

A good footballer, who played for Mantova, Napoli, Torino, Juventus, Brescia and Genoa, Simoni started his successful managing career with Genoa itself, in season 1974/1975. The next year, he was able to bring the rossoblu back to Serie A.

After a long series of promotions, with Pisa, Brescia and Cremonese among them, and good results with outsider teams (Cremonese again, and Napoli), Simoni was called by Massimo Moratti to coach Internazionale of Milan in 1997. With a good-shape Ronaldo on his side, Simoni won a UEFA Cup (the last European competition won by Inter Milan as of today) and gained a controversial second place in the Serie A division: Simoni, who is famous in the football world for his always polite and tranquil behaviour, lost his patience for the sole time in his career when a clear penalty against Ronaldo was negated in a crucial match against Juventus.

Simoni was fired by Internazionale in 1999, even though being still appreciated and well-remember by the team fans.

After a few other experiences, included a brief disappointing one in Bulgaria with CSKA Sofia, Gigi Simoni has led Ancona Calcio to Serie A in 2003, but has surprisingly been fired before the start of the new season. His Serie A comeback, in 2004, with Siena, was not particularly good, as he was again fired during the season. In late 2005, Simoni accepted an offer of Serie C team Lucchese, in order to make an attempt to bring the Tuscanian team back to Serie B.

Preceded by Huub Stevens

UEFA Cup Winning Coach 1997-98

Succeeded by Alberto Malesani