 Italiano in 2024 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 31 January 1983 | ||
| Place of birth | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| Years | Team | ||
| 2018–2019 | Sydney FC NPL | ||
| 2023– | Wellington Phoenix | ||
Giancarlo Italiano (born 31 January 1983) is an Australian association football manager who currently manages the A-League Men side Wellington Phoenix.
Italiano started his coaching career at NSW NPL club Blacktown City where he held the position of sporting director, during which the club won the 2015 National Premier League NSW season and the National Premier League Finals. [1] [2] Following this success he joined A-League Men club Sydney FC where he would work alongside Graham Arnold, Steve Corica, and Ufuk Talay whilst working with the Sydney FC academy set up. [3]
When Ufuk Talay departed Sydney FC in 2019 as manager of New Zealand A-League Men club Wellington Phoenix, Italiano was one of the first people that Talay sought to bring across the Tasman Sea, which Italiano was initially hesitant to do. [1]
Italiano would join the Wellington based club as an analyst, before working closely with Talay, as he was announced to be an assistant coach for the Phoenix. [4] As Italiano progressed through the club's coaching hierarchy, he completed his AFC Professional Coaching Diploma, a pre-requisite for managers to earn before they can become the head manager of a club in the Asian Football Confederation. [5]
Whilst assistant to Ufuk Talay, Italiano made his debut as caretaker manager for the Phoenix during the COVID-19 disrupted 2021-22 A-League Men season when Talay caught the virus. Italiano took the reins for two matches against Perth Glory and Brisbane Roar, [6] with Wellington winning both matches.
In 2023 after Ufuk Talay announced he would vacate the position of manager at season's end, [7] Italiano was announced to be Talay's successor, signing a 2-year contract extension [8] He became the club's sixth manager since the team's inception in 2007, and the first A-League Men's manager not to have had a professional playing career prior to taking up management. [3]
Italiano's first signing for the 2023–2024 A-League Men's season was former Western Sydney and Newcastle Jets player Mohamed Al-Taay, who had played under Italiano at Blacktown City. [9]
Italiano graduated from Rosebank College in 1996, [10] and graduated from the University of Notre Dame Australia in 2021 with a Bachelor of Laws. [11] [12]
Born in Australia, Italiano's heritage is Peruvian and Italian. [13]
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | ||||
| Wellington Phoenix (caretaker) |  | 26 March 2022 | 30 March 2022 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 100.00 |
| Wellington Phoenix (manager) | | 22 April 2023 | Present | 40 | 19 | 10 | 11 | 56 | 44 | +12 | 47.50 |
| Total | 42 | 21 | 10 | 11 | 61 | 45 | +16 | 50.00 | |||
Individual
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