Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini has performed a remarkably rapid turnaround by reinstating Delio Rossi as coach just five weeks after firing him. Rossi was shown the door following the Siclians' inept 7-0 home defeat to Udinese at the end of February that saw them slump to a third defeat in a row.
Zamparini replaced his coach with Serse Cosmi but the unfortunate replacement was given only five weeks and four games to prove himself before being unceremoniously dismissed. Even a victory over Serie A leaders AC Milan didn't help Cosmi who paid for three defeats in four games, with Sunday's 4-0 derby defeat at Catania the catalyst for his downfall.
But having blamed Rossi earlier in the season for Palermo's failure to back up a good start to the campaign and maintain a challenge for a UEFA Champions League finish, Zamparini performed an amazing about turn by saying he had acted too rashly in dismissing the popular coach.
"Changing coaches was a mistake on my part for which I ask Palermo's fans to forgive me. I hope the future will be better," said Zamparini when announcing the return of Rossi. "A drama played out in my heart straight after the defeat to Catania, it was painful to see Palermo being torn apart like that by them.
"In the second half we conceded four goals from three shots. We shot ourselves in the foot. After (Federico) Balzaretti's mistake (he scored an own goal to break the deadlock), which can happen to anyone, we melted away."
"Already before the game I was having second thoughts on replacing Rossi and on (Sunday) I rediscovered my belief in him because he is an excellent coach. There was some dissension after the 7-0 defeat to Udinese and I thought a change would help but it wasn't the case.
"I called Rossi because he was very angry with me - and he even told me that - but also because he has the ability to get the team playing again as they did in the first half of the season. I hope the fans are happy about Rossi's return, we have the Italian Cup coming up and we have to try to do well in this competition."
Essentially Zamparini admitted his knee-jerk reaction had if anything hurt his team's performances but he wasn't ready to take full responsibility, trying to deflect part of it onto Cosmi. "Cosmi didn't know the team and he was confused, and the team never accepted him," he said. "I know they wanted to see the return of Rossi and it was I who called him."
This turnaround was hardly surprising behaviour from a president who has built a reputation in Italy as erratic and eccentric. Zamparini's record speaks for itself: 35 managerial changes since he bought Venezia in 1987. He has even accelerated this trend since selling Venezia and buying Palermo nine years ago, changing coaches on average twice a season in Sicily.
Zamparini replaced his coach with Serse Cosmi but the unfortunate replacement was given only five weeks and four games to prove himself before being unceremoniously dismissed. Even a victory over Serie A leaders AC Milan didn't help Cosmi who paid for three defeats in four games, with Sunday's 4-0 derby defeat at Catania the catalyst for his downfall.But having blamed Rossi earlier in the season for Palermo's failure to back up a good start to the campaign and maintain a challenge for a UEFA Champions League finish, Zamparini performed an amazing about turn by saying he had acted too rashly in dismissing the popular coach.
"Changing coaches was a mistake on my part for which I ask Palermo's fans to forgive me. I hope the future will be better," said Zamparini when announcing the return of Rossi. "A drama played out in my heart straight after the defeat to Catania, it was painful to see Palermo being torn apart like that by them.
"In the second half we conceded four goals from three shots. We shot ourselves in the foot. After (Federico) Balzaretti's mistake (he scored an own goal to break the deadlock), which can happen to anyone, we melted away."
Changing coaches was a mistake on my part for which I ask Palermo's fans to forgive me.
Maurizio Zamparini, Palermo president, on reappointing coach Delio Rossi
"I called Rossi because he was very angry with me - and he even told me that - but also because he has the ability to get the team playing again as they did in the first half of the season. I hope the fans are happy about Rossi's return, we have the Italian Cup coming up and we have to try to do well in this competition."
Essentially Zamparini admitted his knee-jerk reaction had if anything hurt his team's performances but he wasn't ready to take full responsibility, trying to deflect part of it onto Cosmi. "Cosmi didn't know the team and he was confused, and the team never accepted him," he said. "I know they wanted to see the return of Rossi and it was I who called him."
This turnaround was hardly surprising behaviour from a president who has built a reputation in Italy as erratic and eccentric. Zamparini's record speaks for itself: 35 managerial changes since he bought Venezia in 1987. He has even accelerated this trend since selling Venezia and buying Palermo nine years ago, changing coaches on average twice a season in Sicily.
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