Luciano De Paola (born 30 May 1961 in Italy) is an Italian football manager and former player.

Luciano De Paola
Personal information
Date of birth (1961-05-30) 30 May 1961 (age 63)
Place of birth Crotone, Italy
Position(s) Midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1981–1983 Crotone 59 (0)
1983–1985 Frosinone 64 (0)
1985–1988 Francavilla 85 (1)
1988–1990 Cagliari 71 (2)
1990–1993 Brescia 85 (2)
1993 Lazio 6 (0)
1993–1994 Atalanta 14 (0)
1994–1996 Cosenza 66 (2)
1996–1998 Brescia 66 (0)
1998–1999 Cremapergo 13 (0)
Managerial career
1999 Cremapergo
2007 Arezzo
2009–2011 Darfo
2011–2012 Seregno
2012–2013 Trento
2013–2014 AlzanoCene
2015 Piacenza
2015–2016 Lecco
2016–2017 Lumezzane
2017 Lecco
2017–2018 Pergolettese
2018–2019 Trento
2019–2020 Savona
2020–2021 Pergolettese
2021–2022 Lecco
2022–2023 Città di Varese
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career

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As a player, De Paola was compared to Italian international Gennaro Gattuso, who was also a defensive midfielder.[1] In 2013, the newspaper Corriere della Sera included De Paola in a list of Brescia Calcio's best defensive midfielders.[2]

Upon signing for Cagliari Calcio in 1988, De Paola was interviewed by Guerin Sportivo, where the author wrote that he voted for the Italian Communist Party in the early 1980s.[3] When he joined S.S. Lazio in 1993, a journalist re-published the interview and labelled him a communist. As a result, he was blamed for the team's problems and was eventually forced to leave due to pressure from the club's supporters.[4]

After retirement, De Paola claimed that he had never talked about politics in any interview[5] and was never interested in it.[6]

Coaching career

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De Paola mostly worked as head coach in the minor leagues of Northern Italy. His most recent, in charge of Serie C club Pergolettese, ended on 13 April 2021 after he was sacked due to poor results.[7] On 25 November 2021, he was hired as new head coach of Lecco.[8] He rescinded his contract with Lecco on 11 May 2022, a few days after the end of the season.[9]

He subsequently worked at Serie D club Città di Varese until February 2023.[10]

References

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  1. ^ De Paola: «Le braciole con Marulla e Negri. Io guerriero di un calcio che non c’è più» cosenzachannel.it
  2. ^ "IL BRESCIA DEI SOGNI, Chi è stato il miglior numero 4 ?" (in Italian). Corriere della Sera. 13 February 2013.
  3. ^ Amarcord: Luciano De Paola, “il calciatore comunista” mediapolitika.com
  4. ^ Lecco, De Paola: "Vi racconto De Zerbi, la vicenda Lazio, il Cosenza di Marulla e Zaccheroni. Crotone da Serie A" gianlucadimarzio.com
  5. ^ Da Gascoigne a Lucescu, Luciano De Paola si racconta sportpiacenza.it
  6. ^ ESCLUSIVA - De Paola: "Alla Lazio problemi per colpa di un giornalista, ma che risate in stanza con Gazza!" lalaziosiamonoi.it
  7. ^ "Pergolettese, ancora un ribaltone: esonerato Di Paola, squadra ad Albertini" (in Italian). TuttoMercatoWeb. 13 April 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  8. ^ "Lecco, risoluzione consensuale con Zironelli. In panchina arriva De Paola" (in Italian). TuttoMercatoWeb. 25 November 2021.
  9. ^ "CALCIODe Paola ha rescisso. Fracchiolla, la Virtus Francavilla fa la sua proposta" (in Italian). LeccoChannelNews.it. 11 May 2022.
  10. ^ "Il Città di Varese cambia in panchina. Al posto di De Paola arriva Porro" (in Italian). TuttoMercatoWeb. 21 February 2023. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
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