Ignazio Arcoleo
Encyclopedia
Ignazio Arcoleo is an Italian football
er and manager.
, a Palermo
maritime frazione
, to a fishermans' family, started his professional career in 1966/1967 for his home city team
. He returned to play for Palermo in 1970, becoming one of the most representative players for the rosanero in the period. He also played a Coppa Italia
final in 1974, being the author of the foul to Giacomo Bulgarelli
which allowed Bologna
to kick and score the equaliser penalty in injury time, and then win the tournament on penalty shootouts. From 1974/1975 to 1977/1978, Arcoleo played for Genoa
, being remembered as the author of the first football goal ever shown on colour TV, during a Serie A
home match against Torino
ended in a 1–1 tie and played on 6 February 1977.
Arcoleo returned to Palermo, then in Serie B
, on 1978, and again played another unsuccessful Coppa Italia final, lost to top division giants Juventus
. He left Palermo in 1980 and retired in 1983.
team Mazara
. He coached Mazara for two seasons, winning the Serie D league in 1985: however the promotion was then cancelled by the federation because of alleged matchfixing. In 1985/1986, Arcoleo unsuccessfully coached Akragas
, as the then-Serie C2
team relegated at the end of the season despite very strong performances in the second half of the season.
Arcoleo had his breakthrough at the coaching level during his years at the helm of Trapani
, another Serie D team, which he led from the top amateur league to Serie C1
and almost reaching an otherwise historical promotion to Serie B
, being defeated on playoffs by Gualdo
. Thanks to his results on Trapani, Arcoleo was called to coach "his" Palermo
the next season. The 1995/1996 Palermo, widely considered a minor Serie B
team, was mostly composed by local players, most of them right from Arcoleo's Trapani: despite this, the rosanero managed to play one of their best seasons in the 1990s, obtaining a seventh place in the final league table and gaining several successes in the Coppa Italia, eliminating Serie A
well-established teams such as Parma
and Vicenza
.
The following 1996/1997 season, however, was the beginning of Arcoleo career breakdowns, as he was fired and Palermo then sadly relegated to Serie C1. Arcoleo was recalled to coach Palermo in the latest matches of the 1997/1998 Serie C campaign, with the rosanero involved in a heavy struggle to avoid relegation, ended to a shocking loss to Battipagliese on playoffs which meant to be the second consecutive relegation for both Arcoleo and Palermo.
Since then, Arcoleo coached a number of Serie C
teams (Gualdo
, Foggia
, Frosinone
, Nocerina
) never being able to end the season in his position. In 2006, he also made a comeback at Trapani, now in Serie D
, as "technical director" and aide for the head coach, but did not achieve any success and instead saw his team relegated to Eccellenza
. He is currently a football pundit for a number of regional TV channels of Sicily.
Football in Italy
Football is the most popular sport in Italy. The Italian national football team has won the FIFA World Cup 4 times , trailing only Brazil . Italy's club sides have won 27 major European trophies, making them the most successful European nation in the subject of football...
er and manager.
Playing career
Arcoleo, born in MondelloMondello
Mondello is a small town near the city of Palermo in the autonomous region of Sicily in Southern Italy. The beach lies between two cliffs called Monte Gallo and Monte Pellegrino...
, a Palermo
Palermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
maritime frazione
Frazione
A frazione , in Italy, is the name given in administrative law to a type of territorial subdivision of a comune; for other administrative divisions, see municipio, circoscrizione, quartiere...
, to a fishermans' family, started his professional career in 1966/1967 for his home city team
U.S. Città di Palermo
Unione Sportiva Città di Palermo is an Italian football club from Palermo, Sicily which currently plays in Serie A, the top level of Italian football. Formed in 1900 as Anglo Panormitan Athletic and Football Club, the club had various names before assuming its final form in 1987 and is currently...
. He returned to play for Palermo in 1970, becoming one of the most representative players for the rosanero in the period. He also played a Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia
The Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
final in 1974, being the author of the foul to Giacomo Bulgarelli
Giacomo Bulgarelli
Giacomo Bulgarelli was an Italian international footballer. He was born in Portonovo di Medicina, province of Bologna....
which allowed Bologna
Bologna F.C. 1909
Bologna Football Club 1909, known simply as Bologna, is an Italian Football League club based in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, formed in 1993. The club are nicknamed the rossoblù because of the red and blue striped shirts they wear. Red and Blue are the official colours of the town.During its history...
to kick and score the equaliser penalty in injury time, and then win the tournament on penalty shootouts. From 1974/1975 to 1977/1978, Arcoleo played for Genoa
Genoa C.F.C.
Genoa Cricket and Football Club, commonly referred to simply as Genoa , is a professional Italian football club based in the city of Genoa, Liguria...
, being remembered as the author of the first football goal ever shown on colour TV, during a Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
home match against Torino
Torino F.C.
Torino Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Torino, is a professional Italian football club based in Turin, Piedmont, that was founded in 1906. The club has spent most of its history in the top tier in Italian football....
ended in a 1–1 tie and played on 6 February 1977.
Arcoleo returned to Palermo, then in Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
, on 1978, and again played another unsuccessful Coppa Italia final, lost to top division giants Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
. He left Palermo in 1980 and retired in 1983.
Managing career
In 1983/1984, Arcoleo started his managing career, becoming head coach of Serie DSerie D
Serie D is the top level of the Italian non-professional football association called Lega Nazionale Dilettanti. The association represents over a million football players and thousands of football teams across Italy. Serie D ranks just below Lega Pro Seconda Divisione , and is thus considered the...
team Mazara
G.S. Mazara 1946
Mazara Calcio A.S.D., formerly Gruppo Sportivo Mazara 1946, is an Italian football team from Mazara del Vallo, Sicily.It, in the season 2011-12 plays in Eccellenza Sicily.The official team colours are canary yellow and blue...
. He coached Mazara for two seasons, winning the Serie D league in 1985: however the promotion was then cancelled by the federation because of alleged matchfixing. In 1985/1986, Arcoleo unsuccessfully coached Akragas
A.S.D. Akragas Calcio
Akragas Calcio, commonly referred to as simply Akragas, is an Italian association football club based in Agrigento, Sicily; the club was founded in 1939...
, as the then-Serie C2
Serie C
The Lega Italiana Calcio Professionistico , commonly known as Lega Pro , is the governing body that runs the third and fourth highest football divisions in Italy, the Prima Divisione and Seconda Divisione respectively. It also includes the sole professional club of San Marino...
team relegated at the end of the season despite very strong performances in the second half of the season.
Arcoleo had his breakthrough at the coaching level during his years at the helm of Trapani
A.S.D. Trapani Calcio
Trapani Calcio is an Italian football club located in Trapani, Sicily. The traditional club colours of Trapani is maroon, known in Italian language as granata...
, another Serie D team, which he led from the top amateur league to Serie C1
Serie C
The Lega Italiana Calcio Professionistico , commonly known as Lega Pro , is the governing body that runs the third and fourth highest football divisions in Italy, the Prima Divisione and Seconda Divisione respectively. It also includes the sole professional club of San Marino...
and almost reaching an otherwise historical promotion to Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
, being defeated on playoffs by Gualdo
S.S. Gualdo
Associazione Sportiva Gualdo Calcio is an Italian association football club, based in Gualdo Tadino, Umbria.- History :The club was founded in 1920 as Società Sportiva Gualdo and made several appearances in professional football, reaching the Serie C1 promotion playoffs twice, in 1995 and 1998...
. Thanks to his results on Trapani, Arcoleo was called to coach "his" Palermo
U.S. Città di Palermo
Unione Sportiva Città di Palermo is an Italian football club from Palermo, Sicily which currently plays in Serie A, the top level of Italian football. Formed in 1900 as Anglo Panormitan Athletic and Football Club, the club had various names before assuming its final form in 1987 and is currently...
the next season. The 1995/1996 Palermo, widely considered a minor Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
team, was mostly composed by local players, most of them right from Arcoleo's Trapani: despite this, the rosanero managed to play one of their best seasons in the 1990s, obtaining a seventh place in the final league table and gaining several successes in the Coppa Italia, eliminating Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
well-established teams such as Parma
Parma F.C.
Parma Football Club , commonly referred to as just Parma, is an Italian professional football club based in Parma, Emilia–Romagna that will compete in Serie A for the 2011–12 season, having finished in twelfth position last season. Founded as Verdi Foot Ball Club in July 1913, the club changed its...
and Vicenza
Vicenza Calcio
Vicenza Calcio is an Italian football club based in Vicenza, Veneto. The club was formed in 1902 and currently plays in Italy's Serie B, having spent the entire 1960s and a large part of the 1990s in Serie A...
.
The following 1996/1997 season, however, was the beginning of Arcoleo career breakdowns, as he was fired and Palermo then sadly relegated to Serie C1. Arcoleo was recalled to coach Palermo in the latest matches of the 1997/1998 Serie C campaign, with the rosanero involved in a heavy struggle to avoid relegation, ended to a shocking loss to Battipagliese on playoffs which meant to be the second consecutive relegation for both Arcoleo and Palermo.
Since then, Arcoleo coached a number of Serie C
Serie C
The Lega Italiana Calcio Professionistico , commonly known as Lega Pro , is the governing body that runs the third and fourth highest football divisions in Italy, the Prima Divisione and Seconda Divisione respectively. It also includes the sole professional club of San Marino...
teams (Gualdo
S.S. Gualdo
Associazione Sportiva Gualdo Calcio is an Italian association football club, based in Gualdo Tadino, Umbria.- History :The club was founded in 1920 as Società Sportiva Gualdo and made several appearances in professional football, reaching the Serie C1 promotion playoffs twice, in 1995 and 1998...
, Foggia
U.S. Foggia
Unione Sportiva Foggia is an Italian football club, based in Foggia, Puglia. The club was founded in 1920. Foggia currently plays in Lega Pro Prima Divisione, having last been in Serie A in 1995....
, Frosinone
Frosinone Calcio
Frosinone Calcio is an Italian association football club, based in Frosinone, Lazio. The club was founded in 1928 and refounded in 1991, following cancellation by the Italian Football Federation.It in the season 2011-12 plays in Lega Pro Prima Divisione/B....
, Nocerina
A.G. Nocerina 1910
Associazione Sportiva Giovanile Nocerina is an Italian association football club, based in Nocera Inferiore, Campania.Nocerina in the season 2011-12 plays in Serie B.- Games with Juventus :...
) never being able to end the season in his position. In 2006, he also made a comeback at Trapani, now in Serie D
Serie D
Serie D is the top level of the Italian non-professional football association called Lega Nazionale Dilettanti. The association represents over a million football players and thousands of football teams across Italy. Serie D ranks just below Lega Pro Seconda Divisione , and is thus considered the...
, as "technical director" and aide for the head coach, but did not achieve any success and instead saw his team relegated to Eccellenza
Eccellenza
Eccellenza is the sixth level of Italian football. It is a regional league, composed of 28 divisions divided geographically. All 20 regions are represented by at least one division except for Piedmont and Aosta Valley which share 2 divisions...
. He is currently a football pundit for a number of regional TV channels of Sicily.