Jose Mourinho’s move to Madrid was not the only remarkable end of the season development. Last week Italy’s soccer federation unanimously selected Cesare Prandelli to succeed Marcello Lippi as Italy coach after the 2010 World Cup. This is an excellent appointment. Prandelli, a former Juventus player, earned respect and admiration throughout Italy for his accomplishments as a manager first with Parma and, in recent years, with Fiorentina. He is a great strategist and players’ manager, masterfully able to get the most out of his resources. Idolized in Florence, where a large banner proclaims “Welcome to the Prandelli Show” at every home match, Prandelli was briefly rumored to take over at Juventus. To the relief of the Viola fans, he took the national team post instead.
Cesare Prandelli takes over Italy after the World Cup.
Prandelli’s successor at Fiorentina is Sinisa Mihajlovic, the Serbian former Lazio and Inter player. Mihajlovic started his coaching career as Mancini’s assistant at Inter, with one year stints in charge of Bologna and Catania. After successfully guiding the Sicilian club to preserve its Serie A place, last week Mihajlovic abruptly quit Catania, with rumors circulating that he was a long shot candidate to take over for Mourinho. In the end, Fiorentina provided the chance. This will be a great test for Mihajlovic’s coaching aspirations. Fiorentina is a prestigious club with European ambitions, well beyond Serie A survival.
Toward the end of last week, Rafael Benitez’s tenure at Liverpool came to an end after the club and the manager agreed to a severance deal to erase the remainder of his contract. The most revealing aspect of this move is the atmosphere at Liverpool. Benitez gave up a substantial amount of money for the chance to have a fresh start elsewhere, exiting the rut created by Liverpool’s ownership problems, but also by Benitez himself. At first impression, the move may work out well for both parties. Liverpool is in dire need of competent management and a vibrant, strong leader for the players. Guus Hiddink is the most ideal man for the job, yet once again he is unavailable due to his commitment to Turkey. The club has a big roster with too many idle players and plenty of room for improvement. They have six bona-fide pillars to build around in Carragher, Glenn Johnson, Mascherano, Fernando Torres, Pepe Reina and Steven Gerrard, plus Kuyt, Yossi Benayoun and Ryan Babel. Three or four solid additions may propel them to the next level. Kenny Dalglish leads the search for the next Liverpool manager, with Frank Rijkaard mentioned as a possible successor.
Rafa Benitez: ready for Northern Italian cuisine and nicer ties.
Benitez appears set to take over for Mourinho at Inter after being deemed as the best available candidate. President Massimo Moratti really wanted Hiddink as his next manager, but the Dutchman is tied up. After those two, the search did not reveal many suitable options. In Benitez, Inter gets an experienced manager who will not be overwhelmed by the job and who warrants respect at the outset. Benitez won the Champions League with Liverpool in 2005, so Inter’s house is full of champions. What impact his arrival will have on the field is unclear. With essentially the same Inter group returning, Rafa must keep their commitment and determination at maximum intensity after five straight Scudettos and the Champions League. It remains to be seen how this challenge will play out.