Napoli are possibly the fastest rising team in Italian football right now, and one man in particular must take great credit for this – director general Pierpaolo Marino…
It is often said that the strength and beauty of Serie A is not judged by the traditional powerhouses at the top, such as Milan, Inter and Juventus, but by the more romantic outfits in the second tier like Napoli, Fiorentina, Sampdoria and Torino.
These four teams all challenged for honours in the 1980s and early 90s, with the Napoli of Maradona winning two Scudetti, a Coppa Italia and a UEFA Cup. An important component of the Azzurri during the most glorious period of their history was Pierpaolo Marino who, during his two years as sporting director, helped build the team that would historically win its first ever Scudetto in 1987.
Marino returned to Napoli 17 years later, in 2004, to take the post of director general. The club had endured a spectacular fall from grace from the time of Maradona, Careca and Ferrara and, after going bankrupt, now found themselves in Serie C. Along with new President Aurelio De Laurentiis, who re-founded the club, Marino helped mastermind successive promotions in 2006 and 2007, and in their first season back in Serie A since the beginning of the millennium, Napoli finished eighth, just one place outside Europe. In fact, the Partenopei are looking likely to enter the UEFA Cup via the Intertoto Cup.
So how was this all possible?
Well, the most simplistic way of explaining it, is that Marino has made some quite inspired signings. Last season three of the most explosive talents in Serie A were all snapped up in Ezequiel Lavezzi, Marek Hamsik and Fabiano Santacroce. The former has been compared to the great Maradona himself, the latter is regarded by many as Italy’s best young defender, while Hamsik is one of the most complete young midfielders in Europe, with Napoli recently rejecting a €28m bid for the Slovak. The overall cost of these three starlets - €17m. The overall cost of Tiago Mendes, Sergio Almiron and Jean-Alain Boumsong for Juventus - €27m. No wonder so many Juve fans would like to see Alessio Secco replaced by Marino.
The other signings from last season all held up well too at various stages of the campaign; Marcelo Zalayeta, Manuele Blasi, Walter Gargano, and the talented Daniele Mannini. This summer Marino appears to be conducting his transfer business very well too, signing Sampdoria revelation Christian Maggio, Independiente striker German Denis, who by all accounts has been outstanding in pre season, and Palermo’s Leandro Rinaudo. However it is the imminent capture of Italy Under-21 international Andrea Russotto from Bellinzona that proves how Marino has an eye for young talent.
Sometimes football is made to seem way too over-complicated. If a club has a good transfer chief, who knows a good player when he sees one, then gradually a team can be built for the future. This is what has happened at Napoli. However, if a club has a director with a very poor understanding of the game, who wastes money and signs average players, it thus becomes very difficult for the coach.
Marino, who also oversaw the Udinese of Bierhoff and Amoroso during their third placed finish of 1998, is building something really special at Napoli, and while he is in charge of transfers, who is to say that the glory years of the 1980s cannot return in some form?
What are your views on this Post? Is Pierpaolo Marino the best transfer guru in Serie A? All4All's Blog wants to know what YOU think
It is often said that the strength and beauty of Serie A is not judged by the traditional powerhouses at the top, such as Milan, Inter and Juventus, but by the more romantic outfits in the second tier like Napoli, Fiorentina, Sampdoria and Torino.
These four teams all challenged for honours in the 1980s and early 90s, with the Napoli of Maradona winning two Scudetti, a Coppa Italia and a UEFA Cup. An important component of the Azzurri during the most glorious period of their history was Pierpaolo Marino who, during his two years as sporting director, helped build the team that would historically win its first ever Scudetto in 1987.
Marino returned to Napoli 17 years later, in 2004, to take the post of director general. The club had endured a spectacular fall from grace from the time of Maradona, Careca and Ferrara and, after going bankrupt, now found themselves in Serie C. Along with new President Aurelio De Laurentiis, who re-founded the club, Marino helped mastermind successive promotions in 2006 and 2007, and in their first season back in Serie A since the beginning of the millennium, Napoli finished eighth, just one place outside Europe. In fact, the Partenopei are looking likely to enter the UEFA Cup via the Intertoto Cup.
So how was this all possible?
Well, the most simplistic way of explaining it, is that Marino has made some quite inspired signings. Last season three of the most explosive talents in Serie A were all snapped up in Ezequiel Lavezzi, Marek Hamsik and Fabiano Santacroce. The former has been compared to the great Maradona himself, the latter is regarded by many as Italy’s best young defender, while Hamsik is one of the most complete young midfielders in Europe, with Napoli recently rejecting a €28m bid for the Slovak. The overall cost of these three starlets - €17m. The overall cost of Tiago Mendes, Sergio Almiron and Jean-Alain Boumsong for Juventus - €27m. No wonder so many Juve fans would like to see Alessio Secco replaced by Marino.
The other signings from last season all held up well too at various stages of the campaign; Marcelo Zalayeta, Manuele Blasi, Walter Gargano, and the talented Daniele Mannini. This summer Marino appears to be conducting his transfer business very well too, signing Sampdoria revelation Christian Maggio, Independiente striker German Denis, who by all accounts has been outstanding in pre season, and Palermo’s Leandro Rinaudo. However it is the imminent capture of Italy Under-21 international Andrea Russotto from Bellinzona that proves how Marino has an eye for young talent.
Sometimes football is made to seem way too over-complicated. If a club has a good transfer chief, who knows a good player when he sees one, then gradually a team can be built for the future. This is what has happened at Napoli. However, if a club has a director with a very poor understanding of the game, who wastes money and signs average players, it thus becomes very difficult for the coach.
Marino, who also oversaw the Udinese of Bierhoff and Amoroso during their third placed finish of 1998, is building something really special at Napoli, and while he is in charge of transfers, who is to say that the glory years of the 1980s cannot return in some form?
What are your views on this Post? Is Pierpaolo Marino the best transfer guru in Serie A? All4All's Blog wants to know what YOU think
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