Walter Novellino

Walter Novellino
Personal information
Full name Walter Alfredo Novellino
Date of birth June 4, 1953 (1953-06-04) (age 58)
Place of birth Montemarano, Italy
Playing position Midfielder
Youth career
Torino
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1970–1971 Torino 0 (0)
1971–1972 Legnano 37 (1)
1972–1973 Torino 1 (0)
1973–1974 Cremonese 30 (2)
1974–1975 Empoli 36 (5)
1975–1978 Perugia 81 (11)
1978–1982 AC Milan 120 (10)
1982–1984 Ascoli 59 (12)
1984–1986 Perugia 51 (1)
1986–1987 Catania 16 (0)
National team
1978 Italy 1 (0)
Teams managed
1992–1993 Perugia
1993–1995 Gualdo
1995–1996 Perugia
1996–1997 Ravenna
1997–1999 Venezia
1999–2000 Napoli
2000–2002 Piacenza
2002–2007 Sampdoria
2007–2008 Torino
2008–2009 Torino
2009 Reggina
2011 Livorno
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Walter Alfredo Novellino (born June 4, 1953) is an Italian association football manager and former player.

Contents

Career

As player

Novellino was born at Montemarano, province of Avellino. He started his professional career with Torino, then obtaining his major successes with Perugia and AC Milan, and being nicknamed Monzon (after an Argentine boxer) due to both his physical resemblance to him and his determination on the pitch. He also won one cap for the Italy national football team before to leave active football in 1987.

As manager

He made his debut in management in 1992 with Perugia of Serie C1, but this was short-lived. Next season, he moved to Gualdo whom he led in two years to win first Serie C2 and then to a spot in the Serie C1 promotion play-off finals which they eventually lost to Avellino. He then went onto Serie B sides Perugia, Ravenna and then in Venezia whom he led to Serie A for the first time in the club history.

In 2000, he led Napoli to a Serie A promotion, and repeated the feat the following season with Piacenza. In 2002, he joined Sampdoria, immediately leading the team to a Serie A promotion, the fourth time he'd helped a team achieve this goal. In his first Serie A season with Sampdoria, they achieved a 5th place and a UEFA Cup qualification, but lost the battle with Udinese for the last UEFA Champions League place. He left Sampdoria in 2007 to join Torino, where he was fired on April 16, 2008 following disappointing results that left the team in the relegation zone; he was replaced by Gianni De Biasi who ultimately managed to save the granata from relegation.

On December 8, only a few months after his dismissal, he was called back to Torino following the sacking of De Biasi, taking over the team in 18th place and 12 only points achieved in 15 games.[1] He was fired once again on March 24, 2009, after a sequence of negative results that left Torino in deep relegation zone, being replaced by Giancarlo Camolese.[2]

In July 2009 he was appointed new head coach of Reggina, with the aim to lead the Calabrians promptly back to the top flight. However, he managed to achieve only nine points in ten games, being ultimately dismissed on October 24 following a 0–2 loss to his former club Torino.[3]

On 14 February 2011 he was unveiled as new head coach of Serie B club Livorno, replacing Giuseppe Pillon at the helm of the Amaranto,[4] until 22 December 2011 when he rescinds the contract by mutual agreement with the company.

References

  1. ^ "De Biasi esonerato dal suo incarico" (in Italian). Torino FC. 8 December 2008. http://www.torinofc.it/content/view/3889/61/. Retrieved 13 December 2008. 
  2. ^ "CAMOLESE È IL NUOVO ALLENATORE DEL TORO" (in Italian). Torino FC. 24 March 2009. http://www.torinofc.it/content/view/4434/61/. Retrieved 24 March 2009. 
  3. ^ "Novellino sollevato dall'incarico" (in Italian). Reggina Calcio. 2009-10-24. http://www.regginacalcio.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1389&Itemid=15. Retrieved 2009-10-24. 
  4. ^ "Novellino nuovo allenatore dell´A.S. Livorno Calcio" (in Italian). AS Livorno Calcio. 14 February 2011. http://www.livornocalcio.it/notizie/notizie.php?id=5657. Retrieved 15 February 2011.