Cremonese has become the latest Serie A club to change its head coach, replacing Davide Nicola with Marco Giampaolo. The team, nicknamed Violini, has slid into the bottom three after a promising start, with their last victory dating back to early December.
Sources, including Gianluca Di Marzio, report that the experienced coach will commit to a contract extending until 2027, rather than merely for the remainder of the current season. This marks Giampaolo’s return to the club, where he previously managed in Serie C during the 2014/2015 campaign. At that time, his standing had suffered due to less successful tenures at Siena, Catania, Cesena, and Brescia.
Giampaolo takes over a Cremonese side currently in 18th position, three points adrift of Lecce, from his predecessor Nicola. Davide Nicola has a notable history of successfully avoiding relegation when brought in mid-season, achieving this feat with Crotone, Genoa, Torino, and Empoli. However, his track record is less consistent when starting a season with a team, though he did secure Cagliari’s survival last year.
In his prior tenure, Giampaolo guided the Grigiorossi to an eighth-place finish after assuming control in November, swiftly regaining a position in Serie A. His career then saw a successful four-year period at Empoli and Sampdoria before his appointment at Milan. Nevertheless, his time at San Siro was brief, lasting only seven matches. Subsequent roles included managing Torino, a second spell with Sampdoria, and most recently, Lecce, where he narrowly ensured their survival last season.
