At the third attempt Pippo Inzaghi avoided offside and went straight to the Pisa bench (only the official announcement is missing). As when he was a striker, for him it was simply a matter of refining an understanding that was in the air. The Tuscan club contacted him as their first target two summers ago (in the end they chose Maran) and then sketched out an approach last season too before turning to Aquilani. This time, however, Pisa’s assist was perfect, after all, Pisa president Giuseppe Corrado and his son Giovanni – head of the technical area – have known Inzaghi for some time, whose work ethic and the mania in taking care of every detail.
The photo at the airport with Milan blocked by a delay during an American tour is famous: Pippo in the hall together with his staff analyzing the videos of the last friendly match on a laptop and at a certain point calling the French defender Ramì to show him some snippets of competition. Speaking of the United States, in addition to the Corrados, what also convinced Inzaghi was the meeting ten days ago in Forte dei Marmi with the US owner of Pisa Alex Knaster, who sees in him the right man to reach the Serie A for which “it takes patience but not too much”, as he said in the summer retreat a year ago.
enthusiasm
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Full agreement among the members of the Tuscan club and unanimity among the Pisan fans, galvanized as soon as Inzaghi’s name appeared. For two weeks on social media all the other candidates for the Pisa bench were promptly rejected, only Pippo was and is considered the right man to aim for the promotion fight after the disappointment of the last two championships (ended in 11th and 13th place ). In Serie B Inzaghi triumphed in 2020 with record-breaking Benevento (+18 on the second, promotion 7 days early) and in other experiences he has always hit the play-offs: 5th in 2018 with Venezia arriving with him from Serie C, 7th in 2023 with Reggina despite a 5-point penalty in the current season and in the midst of virtual qualification in 2022 with Brescia (5th with 7 rounds to go he was sacked by Cellino despite the direct promotion zone just distant 4 points). In 149 benches among cadets (excluding play-offs) Inzaghi averages 1.76 points per game, which is a high-ranking average.
regeneration
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A very respectable CV obtained without being tied to a specific module and demanding “name” purchases, ready to enhance what is already in the team. A suitable profile to regenerate some elements of Pisa, above all Moreo, who under the Leaning Tower lost the lightness in his plays (6 goals and 2 assists in a season and a half) forced as he was also to complete 50 meters in retreat. Inzaghi had Moreo in Venice and Brescia, where he used him as a maneuver tip, getting the best out of him (an average of a goal or assist every 3 games) and initially he will make perfect use of the internal competition with Bonfanti and Torregrossa. The coach will also find the attacking midfielder-winger Matteo Tramoni, who exploded with him in Brescia where he won the award for best Under 21 in Serie B. Trident or two half strikers plus a centre-forward, Pippo should initially focus on a four-man defense and a three-man midfield of kilos and centimeters, in which he will try to regenerate Touré, who as a midfield octopus steals balls and raids in front of goal in the Serie A season he missed (2021-22) comes from two years as a supporting player.
wedding
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Before his new adventure, on June 24 in Salerno Inzaghi will marry Angela Robusti, whom he met during his time at Venezia, with whom he has lived for seven years and with whom he has two children, Edoardo and Emma. Between 8th and 10th July the coach will arrive in Pisa for the presentation and departure for the training camp in Bormio (13th or 15th July). Pisa is also waiting for another “yes”, that of the sporting director (Giovanni Rossi who said goodbye to Sassuolo is favored over Mattia Baldini ex-Sampdoria).
