Udinese...

04-03-2012

Guidolin and Atalanta, a 19-year-long history…

Many years have passed, almost 19, but Atalanta will always be a fundamental step of (“in”?) Francesco Guidolin’s career, as the “Goddess” was the first club to offer him a chance to coach in the Serie A.

Summer 1993 (“The summer of 1993”?), the young coach from Castelfranco Veneto is one (“was one of”?) of the most promising young coaches of Italy, 37 years old yet with a consistent experience as a coach: Giorgione, Treviso, Fano. Then Empoli and the first achievements (“first results”?): fifth place in the C1 and launch (from where, Nasa?) of a young Montella, then the passage (from a book?) to Ravenna and the first masterpiece: 1st place and promotion to the Serie B for the first time ever.

It is going to be a double promotion for Guidolin. Atalanta need to substitute a certain Marcello Lippi and gamble on the promising young coach. The start is thrilling: 5-2 to Cagliari and maximum enthusiasm (!!). Maurizio Ganz is the playmaker of the squad, that also depends on Paolo Montero, Roberto Rambaudi and Frank Sauzée (are we talking here in the present or still in the past?).

The season doesn’t proceed (“didn’t proceed”?) as it had started and, from day 6 to 9, the team get a series of defeats that will make them fall to the bottom of the table. The KO in Lecce in day 10 puts (“put”) an end to Guidolin’s adventure. It is going (“was going to be”?) to be an important experience for the coach, who understands how merciless Italian championship (“the Italian championship can be”?) can be. Today he is one of the best coaches ever, having brought Vicenza to win the Coppa Italia, fought for a place in the Champions League when coaching Bologna, given (“gave”?) the Serie A to Palermo after 31 years, brought Parma back to the Serie A and Udinese to the Champions (“Champions’”?) League.
And, just for the record, that Atalanta ended in the Serie B despite Guidolin first and a man called Claudio Cesare Prandelli then.