Luigi Simoni

Luigi Simoni

Gigi Simoni with Torino FC
Personal information
Date of birthJanuary 22, 1939
Place of birthCrevalcore, Italy
Playing positionAttacking midfielder
Club information
Current team
Gubbio (technical director)
Youth career
Fiorentina
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1959–1961Mantova47(10)
1961–1962Napoli11(1)
1962–1964Mantova48(8)
1964–1967Torino81(18)
1967–1968Juventus11(0)
1968–1971Brescia100(12)
1971–1974Genoa88(13)
Teams managed
1974–1978Genoa
1978–1980Brescia
1980–1984Genoa
1984–1985Pisa
1985–1986Lazio
1986–1987Pisa
1987–1988Genoa
1988–1989Empoli
1989–1990Cosenza
1990–1992Carrarese
1992–1996Cremonese
1996–1997Napoli
1997–1998Internazionale
1999–2000Piacenza
2000–2001Torino
2001–2002CSKA Sofia
2002–2003Ancona
2003–2004Napoli
2004–2005Siena
2005–2006Lucchese
2011–2012Gubbio (caretaker)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Luigi "Gigi" Simoni (born January 22, 1939) is an Italian football technical director, currently in office with Gubbio of Serie B, a former player and coach.

Biography

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

A good footballer, who played for Mantova, SSC 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 and gained a controversial second place in the Serie A division when Internazionale lost against Juventus.

Simoni was fired by Internazionale on November 30, 1998, 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 took the head coaching role of Serie C1 team Lucchese with little success.

On February 2009, at the age of 70, Simoni accepted a job at Lega Pro Seconda Divisione's Gubbio, where he will serve as technical director until the end of the season.[1] He was later confirmed to his role also for the 2009–10 season, with former Genoa defender Vincenzo Torrente acting as "on-pitch" head coach. Under the guidance of Simoni and Torrente, Gubbio ensured a historic promotion to Serie B that year; after Torrente decided to accept an offer from Bari, Simoni and Gubbio agreed to appoint Fabio Pecchia as new head coach.
Pecchia's term as Gubbio boss turned out however unsuccessful, and on 18 October 2011 Simoni agreed to serve as caretaker head coach for a Serie B game against his former club, league toppers Torino.[2] The game ended in a surprising 1–0 win for his side, and led the club to keep Simoni in charge as long as a valid replacement coach would be found. The following two games led Gubbio to win four more points, a draw and a win. He guided the team until 20 March 2012, when he handed over his first team duties to assistant coach Marco Alessandrini, and moving back to his previous role of technical director at Gubbio.[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Gigi Simoni riparte da Gubbio" (in Italian). Corriere dello Sport Stadio. 2009-01-25. Retrieved 2009-01-25.
  2. ↑ "Gubbio: Simoni torna in panchina contro il Toro" (in Italian). A.S. Gubbio 1910. 18 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  3. ↑ "Alessandrini nuovo allenatore, Simoni torna a fare il d.t." (in Italian). A.S. Gubbio 1910. 20 March 2012. Retrieved 27 March 2012.
Preceded by
Huub Stevens		 UEFA Cup Winning Coach
1997-98 		Succeeded by
Alberto Malesani