Nicola sacked by Salernitana and then recalled: what happened? – Corriere.it

The Thirty-six Strangest Hours. If not always, almost. At least at home Salernitana. The dismissal of the coach David Nicholas arrived after the 8-2 defeat against Atalanta is revoked, after the (many) attempts of the president Daniel Iervolino they failed to find a new coach. the team intervened – many players insisted that the patron review his decision – the sports director Morgan De Sanctis intervened, the mediator of the negotiation. Even Nicola himself played his part by asking his (at that point former) employer to take him back on board. A story, with a happy ending, absolutely unprecedented in the world of football. Iervolino, always attentive to the moods of the square, to social networks, and to his players, has changed his mind. And he also explained why. I understood how important Nicola is for Salerno. There are those who condemn me because we asked the players for an opinion, others say I do too much on my own. All coaches, all presidents and that’s okay. The important thing is not to lead to vulgarity, offenses and illegality

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Protagonists and plots

The actors are many, the plots are complex. The match against Atalanta had marked a point of no return for Nicola: We need a shock, thundered the president, who had already questioned the coach in the previous weeks. Investments, was the management reasoning, have been there. But 2023, with only one point and 11 goals conceded, had precipitated things. Exoneration therefore decided, with the team initially not taking sides and then taking sides: some for, many others against. Nicola, after last year’s miraculous salvation, limited himself to posting a photo on social media without adding words, a sign of thanks.

The other technicians contacted

In the meantime, the consultations began frantically: From Aversa first (the favorite), then also of Francis, Simple And Donadoni. In between also a passage, through intermediaries, with Rafael Benitez, which he preferred to decline, waiting for calls from the Premier League. The problem, with all the profiles consulted, was not cheap: the agreement was reached immediately. It was about the duration: Iervolino insisted on proposing a contract until the end of the season, the candidates wanted at least an extension in case of salvation of the club which, ranking in hand, would seem a rather probable outcome. In short: Salernitana was looking for a ferryman, but no one accepted.

pic.twitter.com/RcSzp5p4tW

— Davide Nicola (@DavideNicolaOff) January 18, 2023

Interview Iervolino-team

Already yesterday, Iervolino’s doubts were increasing and part of the group had spoken to the president to make it clear that calling Nicola back would have been a good idea. Touching the right strings. a question of emotion, of mood: a sensitive topic for the president who wants to try to please everyone, without forgetting what Nicola represented for Salerno last season. The accusations of inconsistency leave – for Iervolino – the time they find. Especially if you have reasons. Which arrived at a river press conference, in which he wanted to clarify his choice of him: Decisions are made, but ideas can change – he said -. I spoke to Nicola, he told me important things: about the city, about him, about the fans, about his affection for me, about the mistakes he made. I spoke to the team. We choose the coach, otherwise the natural order of things is reversed. But I was pleased to hear their reflections on an atypical decision. Football must evolve with different sensitivities, making theoretically unpopular choices. I have always said that Nicola is the right coach for Salernitana, he must find balance with the team and the handle of a charismatic leader. I hope this can happen as soon as possible.

Nicole’s words

The coach, evidently happy with the revocation of the exemption, published a long post on social media: I asked the president with all my strength to review the exemption provision, knowing that I was touching the strings of a human soul that has a profound sensitivity for understand and strongly want to build a different kind of football. Because I love Salerno and I blindly believe in this project, reiterating the decisive role of De Sanctis in mediating to have this decision reversed. Without his mediation, this operation would not have been possible, said the coach. The sports director, however, had also begun to fear for his own role. In recent days, in fact, he had been summoned by Iervolino on several occasions, to think both about the substitute, but also to understand if and how to continue within the club given the non-authority of the exemption. Thunder, lightning, tremors. It’s raining in Salerno. Nicola went to the training ground: he entered alone, head down. As if to say: Now it will only be necessary to work. Then he conducted the first training session in the rain, after speaking again with the team. We need to regroup the group, roll up our sleeves and try to avoid a separation which at the end of the season seems possible anyway. He has a few months to make everyone change his mind.