Luigi Delneri, also known as Gigi Delneri, was born on August 23, 1950, in Aquileia, Italy. He is an Italian former professional footballer and football manager. After playing as a midfielder for several Italian clubs, he began his managerial career in 1985. He managed Chievo Verona, AS Roma, Palermo, Atalanta, Sampdoria, Juventus, and other clubs. His achievements include guiding Chievo to its first promotion to Serie A in 2001 and leading Sampdoria to UEFA Champions League qualification in 2010.

Early Life and Playing Career

Luigi Delneri grew up in Aquileia, in northeastern Italy, and began playing football with the local club's youth team. At the age of 16, he was recruited by SPAL of Ferrara, where he began his professional career in 1968.

He played primarily as a midfielder. After four years at SPAL, he joined Foggia in 1972. He subsequently played for Novara before returning to Foggia in 1975.

In 1978, Delneri transferred to Udinese, where he contributed to the club's promotion to Serie A as the winner of the 1978–79 Serie B championship. His later clubs included Sampdoria, Vicenza, Siena, Pro Gorizia, and Opitergina.

He retired from professional football in 1985, at the age of 34, and began working as a manager.

Beginning of His Managerial Career

Luigi Delneri started his coaching career with Opitergina in 1985. He subsequently managed Pro Gorizia, Partinicaudace, Teramo, Ravenna, Novara, and Nocerina, gaining experience in the lower divisions of Italian football.

Between 1996 and 1998, he managed Ternana, guiding the club through successive promotions from Serie C2 to Serie B. After a brief period at Empoli in 1998, he returned to Ternana for the 1998–99 season.

Chievo Verona

In 2000, Luigi Delneri became manager of Chievo Verona, a club from a district of Verona. During the 2000–01 season, he led the team to promotion to Serie A for the first time in its history.

Chievo finished fifth in its first Serie A season, 2001–02, and qualified for the UEFA Cup. Delneri employed a 4-4-2 formation emphasizing defensive organization, quick transitions, and attacks from wide positions. His squad included Simone Perrotta, Massimo Marazzina, Cristiano Lucarelli, and Eriberto.

He received the Panchina d'Oro award for the 2001–02 season and the Italian Footballers' Association's Coach of the Year award in 2002. He remained with Chievo until 2004.

Porto, Roma, and Palermo

In June 2004, Luigi Delneri was appointed manager of Portuguese club FC Porto, which had won the UEFA Champions League under Jose Mourinho. However, he was dismissed before the beginning of the competitive season.

In September 2004, he took charge of AS Roma, replacing Rudi Völler. His tenure ended in March 2005. He subsequently managed Palermo during the 2005–06 season before returning to Chievo in October 2006.

Atalanta and Sampdoria

Luigi Delneri managed Atalanta between 2007 and 2009. During his two seasons, the Bergamo club finished ninth and eleventh in Serie A.

In 2009, he was appointed manager of Sampdoria. His team, featuring Antonio Cassano and Giampaolo Pazzini, finished fourth in Serie A during the 2009–10 season and qualified for the UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds.

That result led to his appointment at Juventus in May 2010.

Juventus

On May 19, 2010, Luigi Delneri was announced as the new manager of Juventus, taking over from Alberto Zaccheroni. He began his duties ahead of the 2010–11 season.

Despite competing in Serie A and the UEFA Europa League, Juventus struggled to maintain consistent results. The team finished seventh in Serie A and failed to qualify for European competition for the following season.

Delneri left Juventus in May 2011 after one season and was succeeded by Antonio Conte.

Genoa and Hellas Verona

In October 2012, Luigi Delneri became manager of Genoa, replacing Luigi De Canio. His appointment came during a difficult period for the club in Serie A. After a series of disappointing results, including a 2–0 home defeat against Catania, he was dismissed on January 21, 2013.

On December 1, 2015, he replaced Andrea Mandorlini as manager of Hellas Verona. The club was struggling near the bottom of the Serie A standings and was eventually relegated to Serie B. Delneri left at the end of the 2015–16 season.

Udinese and Brescia

On October 3, 2016, Luigi Delneri returned to Udinese, where he had previously played as a midfielder. He replaced Giuseppe Iachini and helped the club finish thirteenth in Serie A during the 2016–17 season.

He remained in charge at the beginning of the following campaign but was dismissed in November 2017 after a run of inconsistent results.

In September 2020, Delneri was appointed manager of Brescia, then competing in Serie B. His tenure was brief, and the club dismissed him on October 6, 2020. Brescia was his last recorded managerial appointment.

Coaching Style

Luigi Delneri is associated particularly with the 4-4-2 formation. His teams generally emphasized positional discipline, coordinated defensive lines, and quick attacking movements along the wings. At Chievo and Sampdoria, these methods contributed to league finishes that qualified the clubs for European competitions.

Professional Playing Career

• 1967–1968 – Aquileia (youth team)
• 1968–1972 – SPAL
• 1972–1974 – Foggia
• 1974–1975 – Novara
• 1975–1978 – Foggia
• 1978–1980 – Udinese
• 1980–1981 – Sampdoria
• 1981–1982 – Vicenza
• 1982–1983 – Siena
• 1983–1984 – Pro Gorizia
• 1984–1985 – Opitergina

Managerial Career

• 1985–1986 – Opitergina
• 1986–1989 – Pro Gorizia
• 1989–1990 – Partinicaudace
• 1990–1991 – Teramo
• 1991–1992 – Ravenna
• 1992–1994 – Novara
• 1994–1996 – Nocerina
• 1996–1998 – Ternana
• 1998 – Empoli
• 1998–1999 – Ternana
• 2000–2004 – Chievo Verona
• 2004 – FC Porto
• 2004–2005 – AS Roma
• 2005–2006 – Palermo
• 2006–2007 – Chievo Verona
• 2007–2009 – Atalanta
• 2009–2010 – Sampdoria
• 2010–2011 – Juventus
• 2012–2013 – Genoa
• 2015–2016 – Hellas Verona
• 2016–2017 – Udinese
• 2020 – Brescia

Major Achievements

• 1978–79 – Serie B championship as a player (Udinese)
• 2000–01 – Promotion to Serie A (Chievo Verona)
• 2001–02 – Fifth place in Serie A and UEFA Cup qualification (Chievo Verona)
• 2002 – Panchina d'Oro, Coach of the Year
• 2002 – Italian Footballers' Association Coach of the Year
• 2009–10 – Fourth place in Serie A and UEFA Champions League qualification (Sampdoria)

Source: Biyografiler.com