Walter Mazzarri

Mazzarri, a midfielder and a product of Fiorentina's youth system, made his professional debut in 1981 for Pescara of Serie B, and played a short Serie A stint in Cagliari the following season, before being sold to Reggiana. He had his longest period at Empoli, who won promotion to Serie A for the first time during his time with the Tuscan side. After several spells with mostly minor teams, including a two-year stint with Acireale where he was part of the team that won a historic first promotion to Serie B, and then playing in the Italian second tier in 1993–94, Mazzarri ended his playing career in 1995 with Sassari Torres.

Early years

Mazzarri started his coaching career as Renzo Ulivieri's assistant at Napoli in 1998. His first spell in charge came in 2001–02 for Sicilian Serie C2 team Acireale, where he had been a player from 1992 to 1994. Subsequently, he returned to his native Tuscany to coach Pistoiese of Serie C1 in 2002–03 and Livorno of Serie B in 2003–04, bringing the amaranto led by Cristiano Lucarelli back to Serie A. He was coach of Reggina from 2004 to 2007, leading the Calabrian side to Serie A survival in three consecutive seasons, the last obtained on the final day of the season despite an 11-point deduction. In May 2007, Mazzarri was made an honorary citizen of Reggio Calabria, after helping the club avoid relegation during the 2006–07 Serie A season.

Sampdoria

On 31 May 2007, he was announced as the new Sampdoria coach. He served as Sampdoria boss for two seasons, overseeing a considerable improvement in results, thanks to the likes of the attacking duo of Antonio Cassano, who publicly praised Mazzarri's coaching abilities, and Giampaolo Pazzini; the duo were likened to the partnership of Roberto Mancini and Gianluca Vialli, who won the scudetto with the club in 1991. Sampdoria's 2007–08 campaign ended in an impressive sixth place, which ensured qualification for the UEFA Cup. Mazzarri's fortunes declined slightly in 2008–09, as the Blucerchiati ended their campaign in 13th place; despite this, he managed to guide his team into the Coppa Italia final,…

Tactically, Mazzarri is known for using a fluid attacking 3–4–3 formation as a manager; at Napoli, his effective front three of Lavezzi, Hamšík, and Cavani were dubbed I tre tenori ("The Three Tenors"). He has also used variations of this system on occasion throughout his career, such as the 3–5–2 formation, the 3–4–1–2, the 3–4–2–1, and the 3–5–1–1, which made use of wing-backs in lieu of wide midfielders, who were crucial to the system's success. The wing-backs would push up to join the forwards in attack when the team were in possession, to help create or finish off chances. However, they would also subsequently track back off the ball, turning the defensive line-up into a back-five. During his second spell at Napoli, Mazzarri also used a 4–3–3 formation, which had been employed by his predecessor, Luciano Spalletti, during the 2022–23 season. Although he earned a reputation as one of the best coaches in Serie A during the early 2010s, Mazzarri also became known in Italy for the excuses he made for poor performances during post-match interviews.

Manager

Sampdoria

Coppa Italia runner-up: 2008–09 Napoli

Coppa Italia: 2011–12 Supercoppa Italiana runner-up: 2012, 2023 Individual

Enzo Bearzot Award: 2012