Alberto Zaccheroni

Alberto Zaccheroni (Italian pronunciation: [alˈbɛrto *dzakkeˈroːni]; born 1 April 1953) is an Italian football manager.

He is best known for having managed a number of top clubs in Serie A, and won a scudetto with A.C. Milan in 1999. Among other notable clubs coached by Zaccheroni include Lazio, Inter and Juventus, all as interim coach for part of a season. He is also renowned for his unconventional and trademark 3–4–3 tactical system.

Career

Zaccheroni's playing career was cut short by injury, and he became a manager at the relatively young age of 30 with amateurs Cesenatico. His managerial career took off during the 1997–98 season with Udinese, when he guided them to third place in the league and qualification for the UEFA Cup.

Milan

Zaccheroni's impressive results at Udinese attracted the attention of Italian giants A.C. Milan, who appointed him as manager after the San Siro club had endured two miserable seasons. Fellow Udinese key players Oliver Bierhoff and Thomas Helveg also joined him in Milan. Zaccheroni delivered instantly, as Milan won the league in the 1998–99 season, pipping Lazio and Fiorentina to the title. The following season was less successful for Zaccheroni as Milan exited the UEFA Champions League early, and although finishing 3rd in Serie A, they were never really in the running for the title. The 2000–01 season was even worse for Zaccheroni as Milan, again, struggled in the Champions League and failed to beat Deportivo. This led AC Milan chairman Silvio Berlusconi to sack Zaccheroni and replace him with caretaker manager Cesare Maldini in the spring of 2001.