Francesco Guidolin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Francesco Guidolin

Guidolin as Udinese manager in 2011
Personal information
Full name	Francesco Guidolin
Date of birth	(1955-10-03) 3 October 1955 (age 69)
Place of birth	Castelfranco Veneto, Italy
Position(s)	Midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1975–1984	Hellas Verona	102	(14)
1977–1978	→ Sambenedettese (loan)	35	(3)
1979–1980	→ Pistoiese (loan)	35	(5)
1982–1983	→ Bologna (loan)	24	(1)
1984–1986	Venezia	41	(1)
Total		237	(24)
International career
1976–1977	Italy U21	5	(0)
Managerial career
1986–1988	Giorgione (youth team)
1988–1989	Giorgione
1989–1990	Treviso
1990–1991	Fano
1991–1992	Empoli
1992–1993	Ravenna
1993	Atalanta
1994–1998	Vicenza
1998–1999	Udinese
1999–2003	Bologna
2004–2005	Palermo
2005	Genoa
2005–2006	Monaco
2006–2007	Palermo
2007	Palermo
2007–2008	Palermo
2008–2010	Parma
2010–2014	Udinese
2016	Swansea City
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Francesco Guidolin, born on October 3, 1955, is an Italian football manager and former player. He is well-known for coaching many Italian teams in Serie A, Italy's top football league. He even won the Italian Cup with Vicenza. Guidolin also led his teams in big European tournaments. These included clubs like Vicenza, Udinese, Bologna, and Palermo. He also managed Monaco in France and Swansea City in England.

Playing Career Highlights

Guidolin started his professional football journey in 1975. He played for Hellas Verona, a team in Serie A. He spent most of his playing career there. He also played on loan for other clubs like Sambenedettese and Bologna. After two seasons with Venezia, he stopped playing in 1986.

Francesco also played for the Italian national under-21 team. He was part of the team between 1976 and 1977.

Coaching Career Journey

Starting in Italy's Lower Leagues

Guidolin began his coaching career in 1988. His first team was Giorgione in Serie C2. This was the main club in his hometown. From 1989 to 1993, he coached several other teams. These included Treviso, Fano, Empoli, and Ravenna. All these teams were in Serie C1.

Managing Atalanta

After helping Ravenna get promoted to Serie B, Guidolin moved to a bigger club. On July 1, 1993, he became the coach of Atalanta in Serie A. However, his time there was short. He was let go after only ten matches.

Success with Vicenza

The next season, Guidolin joined Vicenza, a Serie B team. He helped them improve a lot. They were promoted to Serie A at the end of the 1994–95 season. In the 1996–97 season, Vicenza played very well. They even led the league for a while.

That season, Vicenza also won the Italian Cup. They beat Napoli 3–1 in the final. This was the first major trophy for the club. Because of this win, Guidolin led Vicenza into a European competition. They reached the semi-finals of the 1997–98 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. They lost to Chelsea, who went on to win the cup.

Time at Udinese

After Vicenza, Guidolin became the coach of Udinese in Serie A. This was for the 1998–99 season. Udinese had qualified for the 1998–99 UEFA Cup. But they were knocked out early by Bayer Leverkusen. In the league, Udinese finished in the middle of the table. Guidolin was let go just before the next season started.

Coaching Bologna

In the middle of the 1999–2000 season, Guidolin joined Bologna. He had played for this club before. Bologna had qualified for the 1999–2000 UEFA Cup. Guidolin led them to the third round, where they lost to Galatasaray. In the league, they finished 11th.

The next few seasons saw Bologna finish 9th and then 7th. They even played in a summer tournament, the 2002 UEFA Intertoto Cup. However, the 2002–03 season was tough. Bologna finished 11th, and Guidolin faced criticism.

Leading Palermo to Success

Guidolin returned to coaching with Palermo in January 2004. This was halfway through the Serie B season. He helped Palermo win the division. This brought the team back to Italy's top league for the first time since 1973.

In the next Serie A season, Palermo finished sixth. This earned them their first-ever spot in the UEFA Cup. However, Guidolin decided to leave the club after this successful season.

Short Stint at Genoa

Guidolin had planned to join Genoa for the next season. Genoa had been promoted to Serie A. But, a problem with rules was found regarding Genoa's final league match. The Italian Football Federation moved Genoa to last place in Serie B. This meant they were sent down to Serie C1. Because of this, Guidolin canceled his contract.

Managing Monaco

In October 2005, Guidolin moved outside Italy for the first time. He became the coach of Monaco in France's Ligue 1. He signed a two-year contract. In his only season there, the club finished 10th.

Returning to Palermo (Multiple Times!)

On May 30, 2006, Guidolin made a surprising move. He was hired again by his old club, Palermo. The Serie A season started well for them. But after a key player got injured, the team struggled for over two months. They also didn't get past the group stage in the 2006–07 UEFA Cup.

Guidolin was let go in April 2007. But after his assistant couldn't stop the team from losing, Guidolin was brought back in May. Palermo finished fifth, qualifying for the 2007–08 UEFA Cup. However, Guidolin was then let go again.

In October 2007, he turned down an offer to coach Queens Park Rangers in England. On November 26, 2007, Guidolin was surprisingly hired by Palermo for a fourth time! But after only gaining 18 points in 17 matches, he was let go again in March 2008.

Coaching Parma

On September 30, 2008, Guidolin signed with Parma in Serie B. He led them to second place in the 2008–09 season. This meant Parma was promoted back to the top league. The next Serie A season started well. Parma stayed in the top ten for the first half of the season. They finished in the middle of the table.

Second Time at Udinese

Guidolin managing Udinese in April 2011

After two seasons at Parma, Guidolin resigned. He decided to return to Udinese for a second time. Udinese had finished 15th the previous season.

Despite a slow start to the 2010–11 Serie A season, the team did very well. They earned their highest points total ever. They finished in fourth place, which meant they qualified for the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League qualifying round. Guidolin had promised to "dance like Boateng" if they qualified. He did a little dance on the field! Later that year, he won the Panchina d'Oro award for best coach.

In the next season, Udinese couldn't get into the Champions League. They lost to Arsenal. But they reached the round of 16 in the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League. They finished third in the 2011–12 Serie A, their best result ever. This again earned them a spot in the Champions League qualifiers. In his third season, Guidolin again missed out on the Champions League. They also finished last in their 2012–13 UEFA Europa League group. In the league, they finished fifth. This meant they qualified for the Europa League again.

During the 2013–14 season, Guidolin's Udinese reached the semi-finals of the Italian Cup. They were knocked out by Fiorentina.

Becoming a Consultant

On May 20, 2014, Guidolin decided to stop coaching for a while. He stayed connected with Udinese. He became a technical supervisor for the club's chairman, Giampaolo Pozzo. This meant he also helped oversee Pozzo's other clubs. These included Granada in Spain and Watford in England.

Coaching Swansea City

On January 18, 2016, Guidolin was named head coach of Swansea City. At that time, Swansea was struggling in the 2015–16 Premier League. They were only two points above the relegation zone. Some experts were confused by this choice. But Swansea's chairman said Guidolin's success at Udinese with a small budget was similar to Swansea's goals. When he arrived, Guidolin was not well-known in English football. The team captain even admitted he had to "Google" his new manager.

Guidolin's first game was on January 24, 2016. Swansea City won 2–1 against Everton. This was the club's first league win ever against Everton. On May 1, Guidolin made sure Swansea would stay in the Premier League. They beat Liverpool 3–1. On May 11, 2016, Guidolin signed a new two-year contract. He had impressed the club's leaders with his achievements.

However, the next season started poorly. Guidolin was let go on October 3, 2016, his 61st birthday. He was replaced by Bob Bradley.

Later Years

After his short time at Swansea, Guidolin stopped managing football teams. Since 2018, he has been working for DAZN. He is a football expert and commentator.

Style of Management

Francesco Guidolin was considered one of the best Italian coaches of his time. He won the Panchina d'oro award in 2011. Early in his career, he often used a 4–4–2 formation. Later, he became known for being very flexible. He could change his tactics to fit his players best. He used many different formations throughout his career.

At Vicenza, Guidolin used a fluid 4–4–2 system. His team played the ball quickly, often with few touches. They also pressed opponents aggressively when they didn't have the ball. He used players in different positions depending on the opponent.

When he coached Udinese, Guidolin was known for an exciting, attacking style. His team focused on keeping the ball. But they could also score quickly on counter-attacks. His Udinese team was strong in defense and flexible. They used different formations and had great wing-backs. Their attacking players like Antonio Di Natale and Alexis Sánchez were key. Udinese's play under Guidolin was highly praised.

At Swansea, Guidolin also used an energetic and passing-focused style. This was similar to previous successful managers at the club.

Managerial statistics

Honours

Manager

Ravenna

• Serie C1: 1992–93

Vicenza

• Coppa Italia: 1996–97

Palermo

• Serie B: 2003–04

Individual

• Panchina d'Oro: 2011

See also

In Spanish: Francesco Guidolin para niños