Torino to start all over again with Novellino

Torino struggled for survival last season. The team failed to get going with Alberto Zaccheroni and Gianni De Biasi was shown the back-door twice in the same year as Torino flirted with relegation till the very last matches of the 2006/07 campaign.

Torino have now appointed former club player and ex-Piacenza, Napoli and Sampdoria coach Walter Novellino.

Just three days before the start of the previous season, Torino president Urbano Cairo sacked De Biasi and hired Zaccheroni.

The intention could have been right but not the timing as the former Milan and Inter coach found himself at the helm of a team that was assembled according to the exigencies of another coach, who, incidentally, adopted a completely different type of game.

With Zaccheroni, Torino took quite some time to settle down and when they did, the Christmas recess was around. By that time, Torino were in a trouble-free zone but the period January-February proved fatal for the club... and Zaccheroni.

He was sacked after six defeats in a row. Torino had precipitated to troubled waters.

It was here that De Biasi - the man who had led Torino to promotion the year before - was re-instated.

With him around, the side started collecting the points necessary to escape the drop.

They just made it in the end as only one point separated them from third-from-bottom Chievo by season's end.

Notwithstanding his second major achievement at the club, De Biasi was deemed unfit for the job and Torino parted company with the ex-Modena and Brescia trainer.

Novellino can be credited with having done well with every club he has been working for in his career. He led Venezia, Napoli, Piacenza and Sampdoria to promotion in Serie A. His longest stint was with Sampdoria, where he stayed for five years before opting for 'first love' Torino.

In Turin, no one is expecting miracles from Novellino, particularly due to the club's restricted financial budget. But, at least, Novellino's new-look team should make sure of survival much earlier in the season.

Walter Mazzarri will be replacing Novellino at Sampdoria. The ex-Livorno and Reggina coach is an emerging talent in circulation.

He did extremely well with Reggina particularly in the outgoing season, when the southerners still managed to escape relegation despite starting the season with a -11 points handicap.

Although Samp will find life more difficult without forward Fabio Quagliarella, now at Udinese, Mazzarri will surely have enough quality at his disposal to continue where Novellino had left before his departure.

Del Neri's big chance

Gigi Del Neri has an ideal opportunity to put his coaching career back on track as he takes over Atalanta. Since the summer of 2004, Del Neri has not done well wherever he was in charge.

Del Neri was sacked by then reigning European champions Porto even before the Portuguese 2004/05 season had kicked off.

Following that, he replaced Rudi Voeller at Roma, before he himself was sacked.

In 2005/06, Del Neri was axed by Palermo and last year, he took over Chievo from Bepi Pillon.

However, he was unable to help the modest Verona outfit avoid the big drop after six years in the top flight.

On his part, ex-Atalanta coach Stefano Colantuono decided to replace Francesco Guidolin at Palermo after two superb years in Bergamo.

Colantuono, like Mazzarri, is another exciting coach. However, doubts exist whether Palermo is the perfect destination for one to hone his coaching career with the controversial Maurizio Zamparini at the club's helm.

After doing so well for Catania in these last two seasons, Pasquale Marino left for pastures new. He was recently unveiled as Udinese's new coach.

Since Luciano Spalletti left Udine to move to Roma, Udinese looked unstable on the bench. As a matter of fact, in these last two years, Serse Cosmi, Nestor Sensini, Giovanni Galeone and Alberto Malesani have all sat on the Udinese hot seat.

Meanwhile, former Inter defender Andrea Mandorlini has another chance of proving his worth in the Serie A as he replaces Mario Beretta at Siena.

In 2004/05, Mandorlini was replaced by Delio Rossi at Atalanta midway through the campaign.

Baldini's return

Silvio Baldini will also make a return at the helm of a Serie A club after a number of years as he takes over at Catania. Baldini's best stint so far has been at Empoli.

When Baldini was under pressure, particularly at Brescia and Palermo, he always failed to finish off the season.

Will it be the same at Catania in 2007/08?

Mimmo Di Carlo will be making his Serie A debut when he takes over at Parma. At Mantova, in Serie B, the former hard-tackling midfielder has done pretty well these last two seasons.

Although Di Carlo will surely find life more difficult in Serie A, Parma is perhaps the most ideal club where to launch one's coaching career.

One other new coach in the Serie A next season will be Massimo Ficcadenti.

After several experiences in the lower divisions, he has a golden opportunity to prove himself at the top level when he takes over from Mazzarri at Reggina.

Helping Reggina confirm their Serie A status for yet another season will not be easy if the side's biggest assets opt to change club this summer.