Piero Braglia

Piero Braglia (born January 10, 1955 in Grosseto) is an Italian football manager and former player, currently in charge as head coach of Alessandria in the Lega Pro division.

Career

Playing

A midfielder, Braglia started his professional career with Serie C team Montevarchi, then making his debut in the Serie A in 1976 with Fiorentina. He then spent six seasons with Catanzaro, five of them being in the Italian top flight. He then retired in 1987 after spells with Serie B teams Triestina and Catania.

Coaching

In 1989 Braglia accepted his first managerial job, at the helm of amateur Tuscan team Bibbienese. He then coached a number of Tuscan teams in the lower ranks of Italian football with some success, including a Serie C2 title with Montevarchi in 1995.

In 1999 he accepted his first coaching job outside of Tuscany, becoming head coach of Foggia in the Serie C2, obtaining a fourth place in the final table. He then returned to Tuscany, again to Montevarchi, before to join Chieti, which he led for two seasons in the Serie C1 league. In 2003–04 he returned to Catanzaro, this time as a head coach, and led the giallorossi to win the Serie C1 title and establish them back in Serie B after over a decade in the lower tiers. He was however sacked during the club's following Serie B campaign due to poor results. He then returned in Tuscany, joining Sangiovannese, a team he already twice in the Serie D during his early coaching years, and achieving an impressive third place in their Serie C1 campaign. In 2006 he accepted an offer from Pisa, with the aim to lead the nerazzurri back to Serie B; a third place in the regular season, followed by a successful campaign in the promotion playoffs, assured Pisa and Braglia a place in the second-highest Italian league for the next season. However, after discussions with the club management, Braglia opted to leave Pisa and accept an offer from Lucchese, another Tuscan Serie C1 team with aims of promotions. However, despite this, Lucchese ended only in eighth place and failed to qualify to the promotion playoffs.

On June 2008 Braglia was unveiled as head coach of Serie B team Frosinone, replacing Alberto Cavasin.

On June 2009 Piero Braglia went to Taranto, but was removed weeks later due to poor results. On June 2010 he was announced as new head coach of Juve Stabia,^[1] which he led to a surprise promotion to Serie B via the playoffs. He was then confirmed as Juve Stabia boss for the 2011–12 second division campaign, where he guided his small club to an impressive first season half and a good ninth place by the end of the season. Another safe season followed, with Juve Stabia keeping its Serie B status for one more year. These fortunes did not repeat in the 2013–14 season, as Juve Stabia immediately appeared unable to escape relegation and Braglia was fired in November 2013 to be replaced with Fulvio Pea; after Pea's failure to improve results, Braglia was however called back at Juve Stabia, but could not do anything to avoid Lega Pro relegation to his club.

In July 2014, Braglia agreed a comeback at the helm of Pisa, seven years after he guided them to what was the last Serie B promotion to date for the Nerazzurri of Tuscany.

On 12th October 2015 he became the head coach of Lecce. He led the club to the third place and thus entered the play-off round, where Lecce lost in the semifinal.

On 15th June 2016 he was appointed new manager of Alessandria.

References