The story of I Rosaneri’s season is an unfortunate one with a number of managerial changes, poor performances and currently fighting to retain their Serie A status.
The history of U.S Città di Palermo goes all the way back to November 1900 detailing an all too familiar story of a university student who studied in England, discovering the beautiful game and felt obliged to spread the word in his home town in Sicily.
Palermo has spent the majority of its time as a professional football club jumping between Serie B and C, only reaching the heights of the top division intermittently during the 1950s and 1960s.
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Their luck was to change when current owner Maurizio Zamparini purchased the club back in 2002 and despite one more appearance in Serie B during the 2013/14 season, Palermo have competed within the the top division over a twelve season period, even testing their abilities against European opposition throughout the journey.
Although Zamparini’s investment in the Sicilian club was a breath of fresh air at the time, the businessman’s ruthless management style has plagued his time at the helm, with Palermo having changed coaches 35 times.
You could be forgiven for being taken back by such a large number over a period of fourteen years, even in the current environment in which managerial accountability has come into greater focus. Eight of those changes have occurred since November 2015. In a six month period, eight managers have taken the top job at the club, some on more than one occasion.
Giuseppe Iachini led the club back to the Serie A after their one year spell in Serie B and even earned a mid table finish on his return. Four wins, two draws and six losses gave Zamparini enough motivation to send Iachini on his way, sensationally after a home win against Chievo. He was to comically return for another spell in February 2016 with Zamparini issuing an apology to the fans for the farcical period that was to come, only to accumulate another three losses and a draw to again be shown the door.
It was then onto former player Davide Ballardini, who notched up only one win in six matches to get the sack, but has since been reappointed a fortnight ago.
Despite the unbelievable events so far, the question of what happens next is perhaps as uncertain as ever.
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