Giovanni Cornacchini

Giovanni Cornacchini (born 22 July 1965) is an Italian professional football coach and former football player, who played as a forward.

Giovanni Cornacchini
Personal information
Date of birth (1965-07-22) 22 July 1965
Place of birth Fano, Italy
Height 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Position(s) Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1981–1987 Fano 112 (25)
1985–1986 → Foligno (loan) 25 (5)
1987–1988 Reggiana 29 (5)
1988–1989 Virescit 30 (11)
1989–1991 Piacenza 63 (38)
1991–1992 Milan 3 (0)
1992–1995 Perugia 107 (60)
1995–1996 Bologna 23 (4)
1996–1997 Vicenza 18 (1)
1997 Castel di Sangro 7 (0)
1997–1998 Padova 7 (0)
1998 Ternana 10 (3)
1998–2000 Gubbio 46 (13)
2000–2001 Fano 25 (7)
2001–2003 Cagliese 61 (20)
Managerial career
2003–2004 Cagliese
2004–2005 Canavese
2005–2006 Sansepolcro
2007–2009 Group Città di Castello
2009–2010 Fano
2010–2011 Fermana
2011–2013 Civitanovese
2013–2016 Ancona
2016 Viterbese
2017 Viterbese
2017 Gubbio
2018–2019 Bari
2020–2021 Fermana
2021 Forlì
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career

Cornacchini initially played for Fano between 1981 and 1987, and also had a spell on loan with Foligno during the 1985–86 season. After stints with Reggiana and Virescit Bergamo, he joined Piacenza in 1989, where he scored 36 goals in two seasons, finishing as the top scorer in Serie C1 on both occasions, and helping his team to win promotion during the 1990–91 season.[1][2] His performances and prolific goalscoring attracted the attention of Serie A club Milan, by whom he was subsequently acquired in 1991;[2] however, he often struggled to find space in the team's starting XI under manager Fabio Capello, due to the presence of established forwards such as Marco van Basten and Ruud Gullit; he obtained only three league appearances, making his club and Serie A debut on 15 September 1991, in a 1–1 away draw against Juventus in Turin, as Milan finished the 1991–92 season as Serie A champions.[1][3]

The following season, Cornacchini returned to Serie C1, joining Perugia, where he scored 59 goals over three seasons, finishing as the top scorer of his division in the first two, and later helping his team achieve promotion to Serie B as the league's second-highest goalscorer, behind only Giovanni Pisano. He joined Bologna ahead of the 1995–96 season, although he was unable to replicate his performances at Perugia. Notwithstanding this, the following season, he was acquired by Vicenza manager Francesco Guidolin (whom he later described as his best manager in 2019),[4] where he won the 1996–97 Coppa Italia,[1][5] contributing to his team's victory by scoring important goals in the competition,[6] in particular against Genoa, and later against his former club Bologna in the semi-finals;[1][7] he also started in the victorious two-legged final against Napoli.[5] He made 18 Serie A appearances that season,[8] and scored his only Serie A goal on 20 April 1997, in a 4–1 win over Perugia in Reggio Emilia.[9] In total, he obtained 21 appearances in his two seasons in the Italian top flight.[1]

In 1997, Cornacchini joined Serie B side Padova,[1] but subsequently moved to fellow second division side Castel di Sangro in November of that year.[10] In February, after only making seven appearances for the latter club, he joined Ternana in Serie C1, helping the club obtain promotion with three goals in 13 appearances under manager Luigi Delneri.[11] After returning to Padova, now in Serie C1, he ended his career in the lower divisions of Italian football, with Gubbio, Fano, and finally Cagliese, retiring at the end of the 2002–03 season.[1][12]

Style of play

A fast, agile, and diminutive forward, Cornacchini was known for his speed in tight spaces, his opportunism inside the penalty area, and his eye for goal; however, he was not particularly skilful from a technical standpoint. Despite his slender build and small stature of 1.69 m (5 ft 6+1⁄2 in), he was also effective in the air, courtesy of his power and elevation. Known for his clinical finishing in front of goal, he was a highly prolific goalscorer in Serie C; however, he struggled to replicate similar goalscoring performances in Serie A.[1][2][13]

Coaching career

Following his retirement, Cornacchini worked as a manager.[1] On 22 September 2019, he was fired by Bari.[14]

On 6 December 2020, he was hired by Serie C club Fermana.[15] He left the club by the end of the season after guiding them to safety.[16]

On 12 July 2021, he joined Forlì in Serie D.[17] He was fired on 25 October 2021 as Forlì only gained 8 points in the first 8 league games.[18]

Honours

Player
Piacenza
Milan[1]
Perugia
Bologna
Vicenza[1]
Individual
  • Serie C1 Top-scorer (5): 1986–87 (13 goals), 1989–90 (16 goals), 1990–91 (22 goals), 1992–93 (19 goals), 1993–94 (20 goals)[1][20]

References
  1. "Giovanni CORNACCHINI" (in Italian). www.magliarossonera.it. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  2. BIANCHI, FULVIO (21 August 1991). "CORNACCHINI E I SUOI FRATELLI". La Repubblica (in Italian). Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  3. "Scudetto 1991/92" (in Italian). A.C Milan. Archived from the original on 12 October 2009. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  4. "Cornacchini: "Van Basten il più forte. Guidolin..."" (in Italian). Tutto Bari. 11 March 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  5. "1996/97 Coppa Italia" (in Italian). gazzetta.it. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  6. Rasulo, Francesco (8 May 1997). "MONTEFUSCO E TANTA TENSIONE 'NAPOLI, CI GIOCHIAMO TUTTO'". La Repubblica (in Italian). Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  7. "Vicenza, quella storica Coppa Italia". Il Corriere dello Sport (in Italian). 29 May 2019. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  8. "CORNACCHINI Giovanni" (in Italian). calcio-seriea.net. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  9. Mariani, Maurizio (31 January 2000). "Italy Championship 1996/97". RSSSF. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  10. "CALCIO NEWS". La Repubblica (in Italian). 18 November 1997. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  11. "Cornacchini Giovanni" (in Italian). www.databaserossoverde.it. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  12. Isidori, Barbara (26 May 2006). "L'indimenticato bomber del Grifo: Cornacchini" (in Italian). www.tifogrifo.com. Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  13. Di Michele, Stefania (7 December 2018). "Marco Simone: "Se bomberino Cornacchini vince a Bari fa felice anche me"" (in Italian). ilbari.tv. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  14. "Mister Cornacchini sollevato dall'incarico" (Press release) (in Italian). Bari. 22 September 2019.
  15. "LO STAFF TECNICO E LE PRIME PAROLE DI MISTER GIOVANNI CORNACCHINI" (in Italian). Fermana. 6 December 2020.
  16. ""Dispiace per la scelta di Cornacchini, tanti colloqui per non sbagliare mister"" (in Italian). YouTVRS. 11 June 2021. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  17. "GIOVANNI CORNACCHINI E' IL NUOVO ALLENATORE DEL FORLI' F.C." (in Italian). Forlì. 12 July 2021.
  18. "COMUNICATO UFFICIALE" (in Italian). Forlì. 25 October 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  19. "Stagione: 1995-96" (in Italian). Bologna F.C. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  20. Rota, Davide; Di Maggio, Roberto; Novello, Alberto; Kramarsic, Igor (9 May 2019). "Italy - Serie C1 Top Scorers". RSSSF. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
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