Francesco Farioli
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 10 April 1989 | ||
| Place of birth | Barga, Italy | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Ajax (head coach) | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2007-2008 | Margine Coperta | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| 2021 | Fatih Karagümrük | ||
| 2021–2023 | Alanyaspor | ||
| 2023–2024 | Nice | ||
| 2024– | Ajax | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Francesco Farioli (born 10 April 1989) is an Italian former footballer and professional football coach who is the head coach of Eredivisie club Ajax.
Farioli started his coaching career in Turkey with spells at Fatih Karagümrük and Alanyaspor. He then had one season in charge of French club Nice in Ligue 1 before being appointed by Ajax in May 2024.
Career
[edit]Early career
[edit]Farioli studied philosophy and later sports science at the University of Florence.[1] He began his coaching career with Margine Coperta, a lower-division Italian football club, where he was goalkeeping coach from 2009 to 2011. [2] He subsequently worked as a goalkeeping coach for Fortis Juventus and Lucchese in the Italian Serie C. [3]
Farioli then joined the Aspire Academy in Qatar as a goalkeeping coach for the Qatar U16 national team. [4] While at Aspire, he met Roberto De Zerbi[4] and Jarkko Tuomisto.[5]
He returned to Italy to work as the goalkeeping coach for Benevento under De Zerbi during the 2017-18 season.[6] He then followed De Zerbi to Sassuolo, where he continued as goalkeeping coach from 2018 to 2020.[2]
Turkey
[edit]Farioli's first role as an assistant manager was with the Turkish Süper Lig club Alanyaspor for the 2020–21 season under manager Çağdaş Atan. [7]
On 21 March 2021, he was appointed the head coach of Fatih Karagümrük, another Süper Lig club.[3] At 31, he was one of the youngest managers in a professional European league. [8]
Farioli implemented a possession-based style of play at Fatih Karagümrük, a significant departure from the more direct approach common in the Süper Lig. [3] His team led the league in average possession (61.3%) and had the second-highest number of open-play passing sequences of 10 or more passes. [3] This tactical approach garnered attention for its distinctiveness and effectiveness in a league known for its physical and transitional style. He managed Fatih Karagümrük until 12 December 2021.[9]
On 31 December 2021, he returned to Alanyaspor, this time as head coach.[10]
Nice
[edit]On 30 June 2023, Farioli joined French Ligue 1 side Nice as manager, signing a two-year contract.[11]
During his time at Nice, Farioli implemented a distinctive tactical system with influences from his previous mentor, Roberto De Zerbi, emphasizing possession-based football and a high defensive line. [12] This approach led to a strong start to the 2023-24 Ligue 1 season, with Nice briefly challenging Paris Saint-Germain for the top spot in the league standings. [13] Despite the initial success, Nice's form declined in the latter part of 2023, leading to questions about the sustainability of Farioli's tactics. [14] In September 2023, Farioli obtained his UEFA Pro Licence, the highest coaching certification in European football. [15]
Ajax
[edit]On 23 May 2024, Farioli signed a three-year contract with Dutch club Ajax, becoming their first-ever Italian head coach.[16] This appointment marked the first time Ajax had appointed a foreign manager since Morten Olsen in the 1997/1998 season.[17]
Tactics
[edit]Farioli's initial focus has been on implementing a possession-based style with an emphasis on quick passing and movement, incorporating a high defensive line and proactive pressing.[18]
Managerial statistics
[edit]- As of 10 November 2024
| Team | Nat. | From | To | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | ||||
| Fatih Karagümrük | 
|
22 March 2021 | 16 December 2021 | 27 | 11 | 8 | 8 | 43 | 39 | +4 | 40.74 |
| Alanyaspor |
|
31 December 2021 | 27 February 2023 | 48 | 20 | 12 | 16 | 82 | 76 | +6 | 41.67 |
| Nice | 
|
30 June 2023 | 23 May 2024 | 38 | 17 | 11 | 10 | 48 | 35 | +13 | 44.74 |
| Ajax | 
|
23 May 2024 | Present | 21 | 16 | 3 | 2 | 50 | 15 | +35 | 76.19 |
| Total | 134 | 64 | 34 | 36 | 224 | 165 | +59 | 47.76 | |||
References
[edit]- ^ "Curriculum Vitae di Francesco Farioli". Francesco Farioli. 14 September 2020. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
- ^ a b "Il Barcellona a lezione da Francesco Farioli, ex assistente di De Zerbi al Sassuolo". Canale Sassuolo (in Italian). 25 February 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Francesco Farioli's Revolution at Fatih Karagümrük". Opta Analyst. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
- ^ a b "What Ajax fans should know about their new head coach Francesco Farioli". Pulse Sports. 18 August 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
- ^ Kaksi suomalaista jalkapallovalmentajaa tekee pian historiaa, mutta nukkuuko suomalainen urheilumedia jälleen Ruususen unta?, apu.fi, 19 August 2024
- ^ Rossi, Stefano (4 August 2021). "Da qui a Istanbul, i treni presi in corsa da mister Farioli: è toscano il più giovane allenatore d'Europa". Corriere Fiorentino.
- ^ "Alanyaspor'un antrenörü sosyal medyadan duyurdu". Alanya Postası (in Turkish). 5 April 2019. Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
- ^ "Fatih Karagümrük'te Francesco Farioli dönemi". www.hurriyet.com.tr.
- ^ "Son dakika: Fatih Karagümrük'te Francesco Farioli ile yollar ayrıldı".
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 31 December 2021. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Francesco Farioli nouvel entraîneur de l'OGC Nice" (in French). OGC Nice. 30 June 2023.
- ^ "Francesco Farioli - OGC Nice - Tactical Analysis". The Football Analyst. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
- ^ "From philosophy class to top of the league? Nice's new coach Farioli eyes 1st place in France". Associated Press. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
- ^ "OGC Nice manager Francesco Farioli responds to Ajax links". Get French Football News. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
- ^ "Francesco Farioli (entraîneur de Nice) obtient sa licence UEFA Pro" (in French). L'Équipe. 6 September 2023.
- ^ "Francesco Farioli new Ajax head coach". english.ajax.nl. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
- ^ "Foreign coaches in Mokum". english.ajax.nl. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
- ^ "Francesco Farioli - Ajax - Tactical Analysis". The Football Analyst. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
External links
[edit]- 1989 births
- Living people
- People from Barga, Tuscany
- Sportspeople from the Province of Lucca
- Italian football managers
- Italian expatriate football managers
- Fatih Karagümrük S.K. managers
- Alanyaspor managers
- OGC Nice managers
- AFC Ajax managers
- Süper Lig managers
- Ligue 1 managers
- Eredivisie managers
- Italian expatriate sportspeople in Qatar
- Italian expatriate sportspeople in Turkey
- Italian expatriate sportspeople in France
- Italian expatriate sportspeople in the Netherlands
- Expatriate football managers in Qatar
- Expatriate football managers in Turkey
- Expatriate football managers in France
- Expatriate football managers in the Netherlands