DUNDALK ARE SET to replace Vinny Perth with little-known Italian manager Filippo Giovagnoli, as first reported by RTÉ.
Giovagnoli is set to be joined at the club by Giuseppe Rossi (not to be confused with the former Man United striker of the same name) and the duo are expected to meet coaching staff at Oriel Park tomorrow morning.
Their exact titles at Dundalk are unclear, but neither have the Pro Licence qualifications necessary to take a manager’s job in the Premier Division, qualifications held by staff members John Gill, Alan Reynolds and Shane Keegan.
Giovagnoli has been working as a Director of Coaching at the Metropolitan Oval Academy in New York, having previously served as Technical Director of AC Milan’s summer camps. He does not have any senior coaching experience.
The pair’s anonymity is made even starker when compared to some of the higher-profile names mentioned in connection with the role in recent days, including former Irish internationals Robbie Keane and Mark Kennedy.
They will take over a Dundalk side in wretched form, with a 3-0 defeat to Slovenian champions Celje in the Champions League leading to the dismissal of Vinny Perth.
While Perth accepted much of the blame for that result, it’s understood relations behind the scenes had become strained, amid supposed boardroom interference in team affairs.
Dundalk have dropped into the Europa League qualifiers and have yet to win a league game since the restart, and have fallen nine points behind leaders Shamrock Rovers.
Stephen Kenny was reticent to say too much about the Dundalk situation at a press conference earlier today, but did say Perth’s dismissal is harsh.
“Dundalk is a club close to my heart obviously. I still live in the area. It’s a big part of my life. Vinny, I’m disappointed to see anyone lose his job and disappointed to see Vinny lose his job particularly, he lost a couple of games and that’s the nature of it.
“It’s a very, very harsh decision for him so hopefully he can come out and be stronger as a manager in the future. Not that he needed to be stronger, that’s not a criticism. I mean you learn from your experiences: it makes you better, and you have to do that. I sincerely wish him well with that. It’s harsh alright.”
