Born: 12 August 1975
Nationality: Italian
Place of birth: Stuttgart, Germany
Debut season as manager: 2014-2015
Current Club: Empoli FC
Contract: 2 July 2024 – 30 June 2026
Titles as manager:
- None
Other Achievements as manager:
- Led Parma to promotion from Serie C to Serie B in 2016–17
- Led Parma to promotion from Serie B to Serie A in 2017–18
Managerial Career:
Roberto D’Aversa is an Italian football manager and former midfielder known for his pragmatic and balanced approach to football, particularly in difficult team situations. He has managed several Italian clubs, most notably Parma and Sampdoria, and is recognized for his tactical adaptability, defensive organization, and ability to develop solid team performances, often in challenging environments.
After a playing career that included stints in Serie A and Serie B, D’Aversa transitioned into management, starting with clubs in the lower divisions of Italian football.
D’Aversa began his managerial career at Virtus Lanciano, where he had also played. He took over the team in 2014, initially as a player-coach, before transitioning into a full managerial role. His time at Lanciano was challenging due to limited resources, and after a period of struggling to maintain form, he left the club.
D’Aversa’s major breakthrough came when he was appointed as head coach of Parma in December 2016. At the time, Parma was in Serie C (third division) after being reformed following bankruptcy. His work at Parma is widely regarded as his most significant achievement in football management.
D’Aversa guided Parma to successive promotions, first from Serie C to Serie B in the 2016–17 season and then from Serie B to Serie A in 2017–18. This marked an extraordinary comeback for the club, as Parma became the first Italian team to achieve three consecutive promotions, returning to Serie A just three years after being demoted to the amateur leagues due to financial collapse.
In the 2018–19 season, D’Aversa helped Parma secure their status in Serie A, finishing comfortably in mid-table. His ability to organize a newly promoted squad and instill a pragmatic, defensively solid style of play was crucial to Parma’s survival in Italy’s top flight.
During his time in Serie A with Parma, D’Aversa was known for making his team competitive against more established clubs, often with limited financial resources. Parma’s ability to maintain defensive discipline and play on the counterattack made them difficult opponents, especially at home. They finished 14th in 2018–19 and 11th in 2019–20 under his guidance.
However, after a difficult start to the 2020–21 season, D’Aversa left Parma in August 2020 but was reappointed midway through the season in January 2021 in an attempt to save the team from relegation. Unfortunately, Parma was relegated to Serie B at the end of the season, and D’Aversa departed again in May 2021.
Sampdoria (2021–2022): In July 2021, D’Aversa was appointed manager of Sampdoria, taking over a team with mid-table ambitions in Serie A. Despite showing glimpses of quality, D’Aversa struggled to find consistent results at Sampdoria, with the team experiencing an uneven start to the 2021–22 season. His tenure was marked by a mix of solid defensive performances and frustrating offensive inconsistencies.
After a series of poor results that left the team close to the relegation zone, Sampdoria decided to part ways with D’Aversa in January 2022. He was replaced by Marco Giampaolo, another former Sampdoria coach.
In June 2023, D’Aversa was appointed head coach of Lecce, a club known for battling relegation in Serie A. His task is to maintain Lecce’s place in the top division after they narrowly avoided relegation the previous season. He continues to work with limited resources, focusing on building a compact, defensively organized team while aiming to get the most out of Lecce’s young players and avoid the drop.
Despite the Lecce´s boards trust in D´Aversa keeping the team in Serie A in they found themselves without any other choice than to sack the germany-born tactician because of the situation with Thomas Henry at Hellas Verona in the aftermath of the final whistle of Lecce-Verona. Not only did Lecce lose that important game against a direct relegation opponent, but when the teams were about to leave the pitch D´Aversa got into a dispute with Verona-player Thomas Henry which got so heated that led D´Aversa to headbutt the frenchmen.
“There was already provocation in the final minutes of the match and I didn’t want my lads to get suspended,” D’Aversa told Sky Sport Italia.
“It was not a good gesture, but my intention was to divide them, as the provocation continued even after the match had ended.”
The Lecce coach at first refused to apologize and continued to blame Henry, reacting when told this was ‘unacceptable’ behavior for a Serie A tactician.
“That is your vision. I did not go onto the pitch to headbutt anyone, I went to salute (Verona coach Marco) Baroni and wanted to avoid my players getting suspended. Then Henry came towards me, but my intention was not to go to Henry. Gendrey was there, Pongracic too. I repeat, it was an ugly thing to see, but it absolutely was not premeditated. I apologize for the gesture, but my intention was to separate the players, as the last seven or eight minutes was just continual provocation.”
Henry seemed to be shouting something at D’Aversa when dragged away afterwards by members of the Verona staff.
“I will just say that what happened was a consequence of continual provocation towards the end of the game. I already spoke to the Verona directors. I apologize for the gesture, being a coach and a father of three, it is all I can do.”
The 1-0 defeat was extremely damaging to Lecce, because it allowed Verona to leapfrog them in the Serie A table ahead of the last games of that season. The days after that incident US Lecce decided to sack Roberto D’Aversa which is argued to have been a strategic move as they did it on the basis of that incident and not because of the bad results which allowed them to not pay D’Aversa anything for the remaining time of his contract as he was sacked because of bad conduct and because of sporting results.
In July 2024 Empoli FC appointed D´Aversa as their new manager after the departure of Davide Nicola and their dramatic way of securing another season at Serie A in the final matchday of the season against AS Roma. Due to the incident which led D´Aversa to get sacked from Lecce he had a ban of five matches which saw him outside the dug-out of Empolis first five games in Serie A 2024/2025. Empoli started the season in great fashion where they were unbeaten until the seventh matchday where they lost away against SS Lazio from a late goal by Pedro.
System of Play:
D’Aversa is known for his pragmatic, defensively solid approach, particularly with teams that are newly promoted or facing the challenge of staying in Serie A. He favors systems that are well-organized, relying on defensive discipline and the ability to counter-attack effectively.
- Preferred Formation:
- 4-3-3: D’Aversa’s favored system is a 4-3-3, where the team is set up with a strong defensive base and relies on quick transitions. His wingers and full-backs are essential in providing width, while the midfield trio is tasked with providing defensive cover and distributing the ball efficiently to the attackers.
- 4-3-2-1 (Christmas Tree): Another variation used by D’Aversa is a 4-3-2-1, particularly when he wants to crowd the midfield and limit the opposition’s ability to play through the center. This formation is useful when his teams are playing more defensively against stronger opponents.
- Defensive Solidity: One of D’Aversa’s core principles is ensuring his teams are compact and hard to break down. His teams tend to sit deeper and maintain a solid defensive block, which makes it difficult for opponents to find space in behind. He encourages his full-backs and midfielders to be disciplined, ensuring that defensive organization is prioritized over taking risks in possession.
- Counter-Attacking Focus: While D’Aversa’s teams are well-structured defensively, they also excel in counter-attacking football. He relies on quick, vertical transitions from defense to attack, often utilizing pacey wide players and a strong central striker. At Parma, for example, he made effective use of players like Gervinho, who thrived in fast-break situations.
- Set-Piece Strength: D’Aversa’s teams are well-drilled in set pieces, both defensively and offensively. Given the limited resources and talent at his disposal in many of his managerial jobs, he has placed a particular emphasis on capitalizing on dead-ball situations to score goals, often relying on his team’s aerial prowess and organization.
- Adaptability: Despite his defensive leanings, D’Aversa has shown adaptability in his tactical approach, adjusting his strategy based on the opposition and the players available. He can vary his formation and approach depending on whether his team is playing at home, where they may be more expansive, or away, where they might adopt a more cautious, counter-attacking mindset.
Leadership and Man-Management:
D’Aversa is respected for his ability to get the best out of players, especially in difficult circumstances. He fosters a strong team spirit and instills discipline, particularly in defensive work. He has often been tasked with managing teams with lower budgets or those in crisis situations, and his calm demeanor helps stabilize teams under pressure.
- Player Development: D’Aversa has also demonstrated a capacity to develop young players, giving them opportunities and nurturing their growth, as seen during his time at Parma, where he helped several players, such as Dejan Kulusevski (on loan from Juventus), gain valuable first-team experience.
- Tactical Discipline: D’Aversa emphasizes tactical discipline and positional awareness, ensuring that each player understands their role within the system. This clarity of roles has helped his teams remain competitive, even when they are not among the most talented in the league.
Summary:
Roberto D’Aversa is a pragmatic, defensively-minded manager who excels at organizing teams, particularly those in challenging situations, such as newly promoted or relegation-threatened clubs. His greatest success came with Parma, where he led them to back-to-back promotions to Serie A and established them as a competitive side in Italy’s top flight. His focus on defensive solidity, counter-attacking football, and tactical adaptability has defined his managerial style. While his tenure at Sampdoria was less successful, D’Aversa remains a respected figure in Italian football, known for his ability to stabilize teams and develop young talent.