Empoli: Guido Pagliuca returns to the bench less than a year
By OnzeActu · · 3 min read
Empoli formalized the return of Guido Pagliuca as head coach, nine months after his ouster from the post. This decision by president Fabrizio Corsi marks a bold bet on the reconstruction of the club, which is coming out of a turbulent season in Serie A. The Tuscan technician will have to prove that past difficulties can be overcome to breathe new life into the team.
Pagliuca's adventure at Empoli began in the summer of 2025, following two brilliant seasons with Juve Stabia, concluded with a rise to Serie B then a remarkable fifth place during the following year. His arrival on the Azzurro bench, after the departure of Roberto D'Aversa, was to symbolize the start of a new cycle, with management entrusting him with the reins until 2027. But from the seventh day of the championship, the leaders decided to part ways with him, despite nine points collected (2 wins, 3 draws, 2 losses) and an honorable place of 12th, just one point from the play-off places.
The reason for this brutal choice was not based solely on sporting results. The management then mentioned a lack of osmosis between the coach and the group, slowing down the technical and mental progress of the squad. Pagliuca and his staff then gave way to Alessio Dionisi, known for having already led Empoli to Serie A a few years earlier.
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This parenthesis closed, the club decides today to bet again on Pagliuca, believing that the past difficulties are behind them, in particular with the help of Fabio Artico, brand new sports director responsible for laying the foundations of an environment conducive to serenity and performance.
This return is not without risks: rarely does a coach, dismissed so recently, find his position so quickly in a club of this size. This underlines the extent to which Empoli wishes to evolve, focusing on continuity rather than a reset. For Pagliuca, it is an unexpected second chance to prove himself, at a pivotal moment for the institution.
After a difficult season marked by instability and the search for an identity, the club finally hopes to truly launch its new sporting project. It remains to be seen whether this bet on stability will bear fruit, or whether Empoli will once again experience the pangs of doubt. The coming months will be decisive in validating this considered risk-taking.
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