Simone Inzaghi: The Next Italian Super Coach After Antonio Conte
- Nima Tavallaey Roodsari
“We note with amazement the resignation of Mr. Marcelo Bielsa in a clear violation of the commitments undertaken in the agreements signed last week,” the statement read amidst speculation that the club's President Claudio Lotito was considering taking legal action against the coach who led the Argentinian national team for 6 years, leading them to their first Olympic Gold medal as well as reaching the final of the Copa America that same year, in 2004.
In the middle of all this turmoil, Lazio appointed Simone Inzaghi as head coach on a permanent basis after having appointed him as caretaker coach during the previous season when Stefano Pioli had been sacked after failing to repeat the success attained during 2014/2015 season when he led the Biancocelesti to a surprising third place finish ahead of Napoli and a chance to qualify to the group stages of the Champions League the following year.
Simone Inzaghi had managed to turn things round since being elevated as coach of the club's youth team in April 2016, and many Lazio supporters were hoping for the younger brother of former striker Filippo Inzaghi to continue on. In an unlikely turn of events this is exactly what occurred but no-one could have imagined the success that was to ensue with Inzaghi leading the Biancocelesti to the final of the Coppa Italia where they lost Juventus whilst also finishing 5th ahead of Milanese giants Inter and Milan. More than the great results, Inzaghi devised a system which saw former Barcelona youth team product Keita Balde develop into a full fledged superstar as well as reigniting the somewhat stagnated career of Ciro Immobile. The Italian striker, who blew out on to the scene at Pescara under Zdenek Zeman together with Lorenzo Insigne and Marco Verratti, enjoyed success with Torino where he became the Serie A's top scorer in the 2013/2014 season, but had struggled since then with unsuccessful stints at Sevilla and Borussia Dortmund. This season Immobile has been unplayable at times, racking up 13 goals in 10 appearances so far in the Serie A whilst Lazio won the Italian Supercup against Juventus as well as beating the Champions League finalists again in the Serie A a few weeks later away at the Juventus Stadium renamed Allianz Stadium for commercial purposes.
This particular ability to reignite careers that have stagnated such as that of the aforementioned Ciro Immobile as well as this season Luis Alberto, as well as developing the incredible talent of Sergej Milinkovic-Savic who under Inzaghi's watchful eyes, has turned into one of the best midfielders in Europe, put together with his Midas touch in terms of tactical disposition, has raised many eyebrows with several voices touting him to replace Massimo Allegri at Juventus, when Allegri and the Bianconeri decide to part ways. Meanwhile, his more famous brother, under whose shadow he has always lived under during their playing careers, suffered a humiliating experience with AC Milan, being sacked after only one season in charge of the Rossoneri in June 2015.
Right now everything points in the direction that the current success the Biancocelesti are enjoying will continue and that the less known Inzaghi brother will finally once and for all come out the large shadow his brother cast over him during their playing careers and not only overtake his older brother in terms of their coaching reputations, but also surpass Maurizio Sarri, Carlo Ancelotti and Antonio Conte as the next super coach to come from the Italian peninsula.