Today’s edition of “Il Corriere dello Sport” focuses on Dionisi and De Sanctis.
Alessio Dionisi has arrived in Palermo, has contacted the stadium for the official photos and will be presented to the press at Barbera tomorrow (4pm). He visited the Torretta sports center, which will be his new home. Dionisi needs to adapt to a reality different from his previous experiences, having worked in small towns like Borgosesia and Imolese, and in top clubs like Venice, Empoli and Sassuolo, where the pressures were not equal to those of Palermo.
The identikit of Alessio Dionisi
Dionisi is described by those who worked with him as a man who places education as a fundamental basis. He is balanced in his approach to football, very hardworking on the pitch, attentive to detail, a good orator and non-trivial in dialogue. He is ready to answer every question and does not hold back or hide, he rarely loses his temper or raises his tone, both with the press and with the referees. Until 2023, he was the only Serie A coach to have never received a disciplinary sanction. Even in the locker room, his method is based on building the group without shouting, respecting hierarchies and balances, but maintaining rigidity and schematization in the organization of the work.
The challenge in Palermo
In Palermo, Dionisi will have to deal with a hot environment and it will be interesting to see what mix will emerge from his measured character. A comparative example could be Guidolin, who was cold on the surface and not very open to concessions, but in the end he managed to enter the hearts of the Palermitans by improving himself and his teams. Dionisi, who has gone from an initial fundamentalism to an ability to adapt typical of mature coaches, will be called to test his qualities in a place where empathy also has a significant weight.
The Relationship with Young People
Dionisi has shown attention towards young people, as evidenced by the launch of Scamacca in Sassuolo. However, he is aware that Palermo will also need experience and leadership. An example of his approach is told by Corentin Fiore, who met him at Imola: «Dionisi guided us to a legendary championship with the playoffs lost in the last match against Piacenza. Dionisi gave me confidence, we played more than 40 games with the same 4-3-1-2 formation. “He is the adversary who must adapt to us” he told us. This anecdote illustrates Dionisi’s confidence and tactical coherence, aspects that will be fundamental to his success in Palermo.
