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Sports

Tuesday November 24, 2009

Siena and Palermo fire their coaches as casualties mount in Italy

ROME: The number of coaching changes in Serie A this season rose to eight yesterday after rock-bottom Siena fired Marco Baroni and hired Alberto Malesani.

Baroni had only been appointed on Oct 29 after Marco Giampaolo was fired and his tenure lasted just three weeks and three games, two of which were defeats.

The Siena job was his first as a Serie A coach and prior to being given the opportunity he was the club’s youth team coach, a role he will probably go back to.

Malesani enjoyed success earlier in his coaching career when at Parma, guiding them to an Italian Cup and UEFA Cup triumph from 1998-2001.

Siena are the only club so far to have changed coaches twice.

Earlier yesterday, former Italy and Inter Milan goalkeeper Walter Zenga was sacked and replaced by Delio Rossi as Palermo coach after his side could only draw 1-1 at home to Sicilian rivals Catania at the weekend.

Zenga’s sacking came as a surprise as Palermo were having a reasonable season and some had been suggesting that Zenga, a former Italy goalkeeper, would be in the running to be the next Inter Milan boss.

Palermo had not won in four games but one of those was a thrilling 5-3 defeat at leaders Inter where Palermo hit back from 4-0 down at half-time to 4-3 at one point.

On Sunday, AC Milan edged Cagliari in a 4-3 thriller and Juventus laboured to a 1-0 home win over Udinese as both Italian giants kept leaders Inter Milan within their sights.

The champions, who won 3-1 at Bologna on Saturday, lead Juve by five points with Milan a further two behind.

The main excitement of the day came at the San Siro as Milan coach Leonardo’s continued gamble in playing an attacking 4-3-3 formation paid off as his increasingly exciting team edged a wonderful game full of free-flowing action.

One of the main protagonists, Ronaldinho, who looked close to the form he showed during his halcyon Barcelona days, said Inter were not on their city rivals’ minds.

“We’re just thinking about ourselves at the moment, Inter are a great team and they have a big lead,” he said.

“I’ve had some good weeks of work behind me, physically I feel good and what’s more I’m playing in my best position (on the left of a three-man attack) where I spent many years playing for Barcelona.”

In Turin, chances were at a premium for much of a dull game but Diego stung Udinese goalkeeper Samir Handanovic’s hands early on.

Amauri then failed to turn home a ball on the edge of the six yard box as the first half ended goalless.

But six minutes after the break Christian Poulsen lofted the ball into the area and right-back Martin Caceres crossed for left-back Fabio Grosso to stab home from close range.

“We won a very difficult match and these are three very important points and so I’m very satisfied,” said Juve coach Ciro Ferrara.

“It was good to get Sissoko and Del Piero on.” — Agencies

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