DUNDALK FC HAVE confirmed the news that Filippo Giovagnoli has been appointed as the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division club’s new interim head coach.
RTÉ first reported the arrival of the little-known Italian manager Filippo Giovagnoli as Vinny Perth’s replacement on Monday, following the latter’s exit last week.
A former player in Italian Serie C, Giovagnoli has been the director of coaching at the Metropolitan Oval Academy in New York for the past six years. In his native Italy, he managed a number of clubs, was U19 coach at Serie C outfit AS Gubbio 1910 and was the technical director of AC Milan’s camps there and throughout the USA.
As previously reported, the Lilywhites have also confirmed that the 49-year-old will be assisted by fellow Italian, Guiseppe Rossi — his colleague at the Metropolitan Oval Academy, who also hails from the town of Apecchio.
The duo took charge of training at Oriel Park on Tuesday morning, with Givagnoli discussing the challenge ahead in an interview with dundalkfc.com afterwards.
He spoke about how he was approached by the club about taking the reins three days ago, and concedes that “a lot of people are sceptical” about the appointment.
“It’s my first experience at this level but if you know football and know what you are doing, which I believe I do, then for me it’s just a different challenge,” he said.
I am confident we are going to do a good job. It’s a big challenge because I’m in a different country and a lot of people are sceptical but I am not afraid and when I become part of a club, it becomes my family, and if it becomes my family, I will fight really hard to do well.”
“On behalf of the board of the directors, I’d like to welcome Filippo and Guiseppe to Ireland,” Dundalk FC chairman Bill Hulsizer added.
“I apologise for the lack of a personal appearance but it took a pandemic and a quarantine to prevent a member of the board presenting them personally. C’mon The Town!”
#DundalkFC is delighted to announce that Filippo Giovagnoli has been appointed as the club’s new interim head coach. The 49-year-old will be assisted by fellow Italian Guiseppe Rossi. https://t.co/PJP41srqhH#CmonTheTown pic.twitter.com/RVW3DJDgTu
— DundalkFC (@DundalkFC) August 25, 2020
Confirmation of the new manager’s arrival comes after news of first-team coach John Gill’s exit from the club today. “Today I left Dundalk FC,” he wrote on Twitter, though there was no reference to this in the statment.
“I felt I had no choice given recent events. I am extremely sad it has come to this. I wish the clubs staff, players & fans every success in the future.”
The position of another coach, Alan Reynolds, is reported to be in significant doubt also.
Giovagnoli 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 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. They have fallen nine points behind leaders Shamrock Rovers.
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