Luigi Apolloni

Luigi Apolloni (Italian pronunciation: [luˈiːdʒi apolˈlɔːni]; born 2 May 1967) is an Italian football manager and former player, who played as a centre-back. At club level, Apolloni is mainly remembered for his time with Italian side Parma Calcio 1913, where he won several titles during his 13 seasons with the club. At international level, he was a member of the Italy national football team that reached the final of the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

Luigi Apolloni
Personal information
Full name Luigi Apolloni
Date of birth (1967-05-02) 2 May 1967
Place of birth Frascati, Italy
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
Lodigiani
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1984–1986 Pistoiese 35 (0)
1986–1987 Reggiana 32 (0)
1987–2000 Parma 304 (8)
1999–2000 → Verona (loan) 28 (2)
2000–2001 Verona 23 (0)
Total 422 (10)
International career
1994–1996 Italy 15 (0)
Managerial career
2009–2010 Modena
2010 Grosseto
2012 Gubbio
2012–2013 Reggiana
2013–2014 Gorica
2015 Lentigione
2015–2016 Parma
2018–2019 Modena
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

Born in Frascati, Apolloni started his career with Lodigiani in 1983–84 in Serie C2, without ever get off the field in the first team to advance to Pistoiese within two years, where he debuted in professional football.

After another year in Serie C1 to Reggiana, he joined Parma in 1987, became a key member of the squad and a mainstay in the team's defensive lineup alongside Lorenzo Minotti; the two players formed a notable central defensive partnership at the club, helping to guide the team from the Serie B to Serie A, and eventually, to the top levels of European football. Their time at the club included triumphs in the 1991–92 Coppa Italia, a Cup Winners' Cup and UEFA Super Cup in 1993, a runners-up medal in their 1993–94 European Cup Winners' Cup campaign, and two UEFA Cups in 1995 and 1999, as well as the Supercoppa Italiana and another Coppa Italia in 1999, a runners-up medal in the 1995 Supercoppa Italiana, and third and second-place finishes in Serie A in 1995 and 1997 respectively.

In 1996 a serious injury forced him out, and Apolloni did not manage to win back a place in the starting lineup, ultimately leaving Parma in 1999 to join Hellas Verona, and later ending his career in 2001 with a total of 255 appearances and 7 goals in the Italian top flight.

International career

Following his successes with Parma, Apolloni gained a spot in the Italian squad under head coach Arrigo Sacchi, making his international debut on 27 May 1994, in a 2–0 home win against Finland, coincidentally in Parma.[1] Overall, he made 15 appearances for Italy between 1994 and 1996,[2] and was a member of the azzurri squad that took part at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, where they reached the final, in which he appeared, only to lose to Brazil on penalties.[3] He was also a part of their less successful Euro 1996 campaign, appearing in Italy's opening two group matches, a 2–1 win over a Russia,[4] and a 2–1 defeat to eventual runners-up the Czech Republic, in which he was sent off;[5] the Italians were eliminated in the first round of the tournament.[6]

Managerial career

In 2006 Apolloni accepted to follow former Parma teammate Daniele Zoratto, serving as his aide at Modena. He was later sacked together with head coach Zoratto in February 2007, only to return at Modena in April 2008.[7]

In January 2009, Apolloni was appointed as caretaker manager of the canarini after Zoratto left the club by mutual consent.[8] He was then permanently appointed to the role after he managed to guide Modena to escape relegation at the final day of the season. In his first full season in charge of the club, Apolloni guided Modena to a mid-table place in the league despite severe financial issues within the club. In July 2010 he left Modena to join ambitious Serie B club Grosseto.[9] He was however removed by the end of September due to poor results, and replaced by Francesco Moriero.

On 2 April 2012, he was appointed as new head coach of Gubbio in the Italian Serie B league until the end of the season, thus becoming the fourth manager of the season for the small relegation-threatened Umbrian club (after Fabio Pecchia, Luigi Simoni and Marco Alessandrini).[10]

On 31 May 2018, Apolloni was appointed as the manager of Modena. It lasted until 10 January 2019, where he was fired.[11]

Managerial statistics
As of match played 6 January 2019[12]
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team Nat From To Record
G W D L GF GA GD Win %
Modena Italy 26 January 2009 23 June 2010 63 24 18 21 70 74 −4 038.10
Grosseto Italy 23 June 2010 27 September 2010 7 2 2 3 9 6 +3 028.57
Gubbio Italy 2 April 2012 23 June 2012 9 1 2 6 6 15 −9 011.11
Reggiana Italy 28 December 2012 19 March 2013 9 2 1 6 5 16 −11 022.22
Gorica Slovenia 13 June 2013 6 October 2014 58 25 14 19 88 57 +31 043.10
Lentigione Italy 20 June 2015 3 July 2015 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0 !—
Parma Italy 3 July 2015 22 November 2016 58 37 16 5 112 42 +70 063.79
Modena Italy 31 May 2018 10 January 2019 19 11 5 3 31 20 +11 057.89
Total 223 102 58 63 321 230 +91 045.74

Honours

Player

Parma[13]

References
  1. "Buon compleanno ad Apolloni, Diamanti e Dossena!" [Happy birthday to Apolloni, Diamanti and Dossena!]. Vivo Azzurro. 2 February 2015. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  2. "Convocazioni e presenze in campo: Luigi Apolloni" (in Italian). FIGC. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  3. "World Cup Usa '94 / The Final : Facts And Figures". The Los Angeles Times. 18 July 1994. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  4. "Instinctive Casiraghi helps Italy sink Russia". UEFA.com. 6 October 2003. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  5. "Bejbl completes Italian job for Czechs". UEFA.com. 6 October 2003. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  6. "Italy pay penalty for Germany stalemate". UEFA.com. 6 October 2003. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  7. "Modena: via Mutti, torna Zoratto" (in Italian). RAI Sport. 20 April 2008. Archived from the original on 24 April 2008. Retrieved 26 April 2008.
  8. "Cambia la guida tecnica al Modena F.C." (in Italian). Modena FC. 26 January 2009. Archived from the original on 1 February 2009. Retrieved 26 January 2009.
  9. "Apolloni incontra la stampa". US Grosseto FC. 6 July 2010. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
  10. "Ufficializzato l'ingaggio del tecnico Luigi Apolloni" (in Italian). A.S. Gubbio 1910. 2 April 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  11. UFFICIALE - Modena Fc, esonerato Luigi Apolloni: il nuovo allenatore è Alberto Bollini!, parlandodisport.it, 10 January 2019
  12. "Luigi Apolloni career sheet". footballdatabase. footballdatabase. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  13. "Luigi Apolloni" (in Italian). Eurosport. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
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