Nevio Scala

{{Short description|Italian football player and manager (born 1947)}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Nevio Scala

| image = Nevio Scala 2002.tif

| caption = Scala in 2002

| full_name = Nevio Scala{{cite web |url=https://www.tff.org/Default.aspx?pageID=527&antID=8057 |title=Nevio Scala |publisher=Turkish Football Federation |access-date=22 December 2020}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1947|11|22|df=y}}

| birth_place = Lozzo Atestino, Italy

| height =

| position = Midfielder

| currentclub =

| youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Milan

| years1 = 1965–1969 | clubs1 = Milan | caps1 = 11 | goals1 = 0

| years2 = 1966–1967 | clubs2 = → Roma (loan) | caps2 = 28 | goals2 = 1

| years3 = 1969–1971 | clubs3 = Vicenza | caps3 = 59 | goals3 = 2

| years4 = 1971–1973 | clubs4 = Fiorentina | caps4 = 50 | goals4 = 6

| years5 = 1973–1975 | clubs5 = Inter Milan | caps5 = 26 | goals5 = 1

| years6 = 1975–1976 | clubs6 = Milan | caps6 = 23 | goals6 = 0

| years7 = 1976–1979 | clubs7 = Foggia | caps7 = 85 | goals7 = 2

| years8 = 1979–1980 | clubs8 = Monza | caps8 = 14 | goals8 = 0

| years9 = 1980–1981 | clubs9 = Adriese | caps9 = 23 | goals9 = 1

| totalcaps = 319 | totalgoals = 13

| manageryears1 = 1988–1989 | managerclubs1 = Reggina

| manageryears2 = 1989–1996 | managerclubs2 = Parma

| manageryears3 = 1997 | managerclubs3 = Perugia

| manageryears4 = 1997–1998 | managerclubs4 = Borussia Dortmund

| manageryears5 = 2000–2001 | managerclubs5 = Beşiktaş

| manageryears6 = 2002 | managerclubs6 = Shakhtar Donetsk

| manageryears7 = 2003–2004 | managerclubs7 = Spartak Moscow

}}

Nevio Scala ({{IPA|it|ˈnɛvjo ˈskala}}; born 22 November 1947) is an Italian football sporting director, coach and former player.

Throughout his footballing career, he played as a midfielder for several Italian clubs, and won several titles during his time with AC Milan. As a manager, he is mostly known for his role as head coach of Parma during the club's golden age of the 1990s, which saw him lead the team from Serie B to several European triumphs.

Playing career

Born in Lozzo Atestino, Province of Padua, Veneto, Scala enjoyed a successful career as a midfielder for several Italian top-flight teams — Roma, Milan, Vicenza and Internazionale — and subsequently played for lower-ranked clubs Foggia, Monza and Adriese in the final years of his career.

As a player, with Milan, he won the Serie A in 1967–68, the European Cup Winners' Cup also in 1967–68, and the European Cup in 1968–69.

Coaching career

As a coach, he led Calabrian third division club Reggina to Serie B in 1988, and then moved to Serie B club Parma. He held that position for six years, leading the Emilian club to its first promotion to the Italian top flight in 1990, and subsequently turned the team into one of the major clubs in the Italian Serie A, thanks also to the relevant financial backing from chairman and Parmalat founder Calisto Tanzi, winning several domestic and European titles. During his time at Parma, Scala won the Coppa Italia in 1992, the Cup Winners' Cup and the European Super Cup in 1993, and the UEFA Cup in 1995. He also managed runners-up medals in the Coppa Italia in 1995, in the Cup Winners' Cup in 1994, and twice in the Supercoppa Italiana in 1992 and 1995, while his best result in the league were third-place finishes during the 1992–93 and 1994–95 Serie A seasons. He left Parma in June 1996.{{cite web|url=http://www.football-italia.net/63457/when-parma-ruled-europe|title=When Parma ruled Europe|publisher=Football Italia|author1=Dave Taylor|date=5 March 2015|access-date=22 April 2016}}{{cite web |url=https://www.assocalciatori.it/news/il-pallone-racconta-nevio-scala |title=Il pallone racconta: Nevio Scala |publisher=AIC - Associazione Italiana Calciatori |language=it |date=24 November 2017 |access-date=28 May 2024 }}{{cite news |url=https://parma.repubblica.it/sport/2015/12/05/news/_in_questo_parma_c_e_qualcosa_del_mio_parola_di_nevio_scala-128869881/ |title="Il nostro progetto per la serie A", parola di Nevio Scala |work=la Repubblica |language=it |date=8 December 2015 |access-date=28 May 2024 }}

During the 1996–97 season, Scala accepted an offer from Luciano Gaucci to become head coach of struggling Perugia, but did not manage to escape relegation to Serie B for his side, missing out on potential salvation by a single point.

He successively pursued a number of experiences abroad, becoming head coach of German club Borussia Dortmund in 1997, with whom he won the Intercontinental Cup that season; he left the club in 1998. In 2000, he became another Italian coach after Giuseppe Meazza and Sandro Puppo to manage a Turkish team by accepting an offer from Beşiktaş; hs time at the club was not positive, however. He then went on to serve as head coach of Ukraine's FC Shakhtar Donetsk, where he won Ukrainian Championship and Cup in 2002, and Russians Spartak Moscow winning the 2003 Russian Cup, the latter role being his last head coaching experience to date.

He currently lives in his hometown city of Lozzo Atestino, where he is member of the local city council since 2007,{{cite web |url=http://www.nonsolocap.it/veneto/54-lozzo-atestino/71-amministrazione/ |publisher=NonSoloCap.it |language=it |access-date=10 July 2009 |title=Lozzo Atestino (PD)}} after running unsuccessfully as mayor in 2007.{{cite news |url=http://www.corriere.it/Speciali/Politica/2007/Amministrative2007/Comunali/20070527000000_2_COMUNE_54_470.shtml |publisher=Corriere della Sera |language=it |access-date=10 July 2009 |date=27 May 2007 |title=Comune di LOZZO ATESTINO}} He is currently active as a football pundit for Rai Radio 1, where he regularly comments Serie A games and gives his answers to live phone comments and questions on Sunday late night show Domenica sport.{{cite news |url=http://it.tv.yahoo.com/29082008/8/rai-ritorna-90-minuto-appuntamento-storico-piccolo-schermo.html |publisher=Yahoo! Italia TV |access-date=23 August 2009 |date=29 August 2008 |language=it |title=Rai: Ritorna 90° Minuto, Appuntamento Storico Sul Piccolo Schermo}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}

In the early 2010s, Scala expressed a desire to return to coaching, being linked with Motherwell F.C.{{cite news|url=http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/hibernianfc/Nevio-Scala-quick-to-throw.6565156.jp|title=Nevio Scala quick to throw hat into ring for Hibs job|work=The Scotsman Newspaper|date=4 October 2010|access-date=22 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629171722/http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/hibernianfc/Nevio-Scala-quick-to-throw.6565156.jp|archive-date=29 June 2011|url-status=dead}} and later with AS Roma{{cite news|url=http://football-italia.net/mar09s.html|title=Football Italia|date=9 March 2010|access-date=22 April 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723130721/http://football-italia.net/mar09s.html|archive-date=23 July 2011}} in 2010.

In July 2015, he was confirmed as new chairman of a refounded Parma, after the original club folded due to financial issues,{{cite news |url=http://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/Serie-A/Parma/01-07-2015/parma-inizia-ufficialmente-era-barilla-sara-storia-diversa-mai-vista-120391302043.shtml |publisher=La Gazzetta dello Sport |language=it |access-date=1 July 2015 |date=1 July 2015 |title=Parma, inizia ufficialmente l'era Barilla: "Sarà una storia diversa, mai vista" }} while former player Luigi Apolloni was chosen as head coach.{{cite web|url=http://www.espnfc.com/parma/story/2538620/new-club-parma-calcio-1913-approved-to-play-in-serie-d|title=New club Parma Calcio 1913 approved to play in Serie D|date=27 July 2015|access-date=27 July 2015| work=ESPNFC.com|publisher= ESPN (UK)}} Parma managed to return to the professional Italian leagues that season, and clinched promotion from Serie D into Lega Pro on 17 April 2016.{{cite web|title=Parma promoted into Lega Pro|url=http://www.football-italia.net/82952/parma-promoted-lega-pro|website=Football Italia|access-date=18 April 2016}} Scala resigned from chairmanship in November 2016, in disagreement with the club owners' decision to sack head coach Luigi Apolloni and technical director Lorenzo Minotti, both former players of his during his days as Parma manager.{{cite web|title=Parma, via Apolloni, Minotti, Galassi. Scala lascia. "Amareggiati, altro che calcio diverso"|url=https://parma.repubblica.it/sport/2016/11/22/news/terremoto_parma_calcio_via_apolloni_minotti_e_scala-152579199/|website=La Repubblica|access-date=27 April 2021 |date=22 November 2016 |language=Italian}}

Style of management

Scala was a pragmatic manager, who was known for his high-tempo, offensive–minded, possession–based style, which was inspired by Dutch total football; he was also influenced by the calm style of Nils Liedholm and the charisma of Nereo Rocco, under whom he had played. He was also influenced by Helenio Herrera and Giovanni Trapattoni. His tactical approach was in stark contrast to other styles popular in Italy at the time, which were either the gioco all'italiana inspired by the man-to-man marking of catenaccio, or Arrigo Sacchi's zonal 4–4–2.{{cite web |url=https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/parma-story-hernan-hristro-gigi-and-dairy-dream-gone-wrong |title=The Parma story: Hernan, Hristro, Gigi and the dairy dream gone wrong |publisher=fourfourtwo.com |language=en |date=24 June 2015 |access-date=23 May 2024 }}{{cite web |last1=Fontana |first1=Mattia |title=La storia della tattica: da Sacchi a Guardiola |url=https://www.eurosport.it/calcio/la-storia-della-tattica-da-sacchi-a-guardiola_sto4735853/story.shtml |publisher=www.eurosport.it |access-date=23 May 2024 |language=it |date=18 May 2015}}{{cite news |last1=Guagneli |first1=Walter |title=Ditegli sempre gol |url=https://archivio.unita.news/assets/main/1991/09/19/page_029.pdf |access-date=23 May 2024 |work=L'Unità |date=19 September 1991 |page=29 |language=it}}{{cite web |title=Nevio Scala: "Il mio Parma stima reciproca e tanta intensità" |url=https://www.guerinsportivo.it/news/il-cuoio/l-intervista/2022/11/22-5927082/nevio_scala_il_mio_parma_stima_reciproca_e_tanta_intensita_ |publisher=www.guerinsportivo.it |access-date=23 May 2024 |language=it |date=22 November 2022}} Scala instead used a fluid and innovative 5–3–2 formation, which could easily transform into a 3–5–2 formation when attacking, with the full-backs, such as Antonio Benarrivo and Alberto Di Chiara at Parma, frequently running into spaces to overload the flanks and give his team a numerical advantage.{{cite news |title=Nevio Scala, il non-maestro: "I giovani? Bisogna lasciarli liberi di esprimersi, senza indottrinarli con troppi discorsi tattici" |url=https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2022/03/20/nevio-scala-il-non-maestro-i-giovani-bisogna-lasciarli-liberi-di-esprimersi-senza-indottrinarli-con-troppi-discorsi-tattici/6530332/ |access-date=23 May 2024 |work=Il Fatto Quotidiano |date=20 March 2022 |language=it-IT}}{{cite news |title=Nevio Scala, dalla campagna ai successi in Europa col Parma |url=https://www.corrieredellosport.it/news/calcio/ilcuoio/2019/11/21-63619380/nevio_scala_dalla_campagna_ai_successi_in_europa_col_parma |access-date=23 May 2024 |work=corrieredellosport.it |date=21 November 2019 |language=it}}{{cite web |title=Favola |url=https://www.ultimouomo.com/favola/ |publisher=L'Ultimo Uomo |access-date=23 May 2024 |language=it-IT |date=14 April 2015}} He used this system at almost every club he managed, except Spartak Moscow, where he did not have players suited to this formation and used a 5–2–3 instead. He is credited as being a pioneer of this 3–5–2 or 5–3–2 formation, which later became highly popular in Serie A.{{cite news |title=Breve storia del grande Parma |url=https://www.ilpost.it/2015/02/28/grande-parma-calcio/ |access-date=23 May 2024 |work=Il Post |date=28 February 2015 |language=it}} At Parma, Scala used a zonal marking system off the ball throughout most areas of the pitch, and a high defensive line, but also used elements of man-to-man marking in defence, with a non systematic use of the offisde trap. He also made use of a ball-playing sweeper – Lorenzo Minotti – flanked by two stoppers: Luigi Apolloni and Georges Grün. He also deployed an intelligent deep-lying playmaker in midfield, such as Daniele Zoratto.{{cite web |title=Quasi leggenda: il primo ballo del Parma |url=https://www.ultimouomo.com/parma-stagione-90-91/ |website=L'Ultimo Uomo |access-date=23 May 2024 |language=it-IT |date=25 March 2019}} Scala also often used a sweeper-keeper, such as Cláudio Taffarel, Luca Bucci, or Gianluigi Buffon, who was adept with his feet, and who was also capable of rushing out of goal quickly to beat opponents who had beaten the offisde trap and clear the ball away from danger.{{cite web|url=http://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/1994/10/20/scala-ha-fretta-di-gol.html|title=SCALA HA FRETTA DI GOL|publisher=La Repubblica|language=Italian|author1=EMILIO MARRESE|date=20 October 1994|accessdate=28 October 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/1993/08/15/pecchia-sara-famoso.html|title=PECCHIA, SARA' FAMOSO?|publisher=La Repubblica|language=Italian|author1=EMILIO MARRESE|date=15 August 1993|accessdate=28 October 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://www.archiviolastampa.it/component/option,com_lastampa/task,search/mod,libera/action,viewer/Itemid,3/page,31/articleid,0679_01_1995_0275_0029_13913018/anews,true/|title=Maglia Azzurra Stregata|publisher=La Stampa|page=31|language=Italian|date=10 October 1995|accessdate=28 October 2017}}{{cite news|url=http://www.archiviolastampa.it/component/option,com_lastampa/task,search/mod,libera/action,viewer/Itemid,3/page,33/articleid,0696_01_1995_0056_0041_10284761/|title=Peruzzi. La mia sfida con Zenga|newspaper=La Stampa|language=Italian|date=26 February 1995|author=Marco Ansaldo|page=33}} Scala's Parma were known for being hard-working, compact defensively, and capable of scoring from swift counter-attacks. The team often made use of switches of play to stretch their opponents.{{cite web |last1=Hodges-Ramon |first1=Luca |title=The insatiable rise of Parma in the 1990s |url=https://thesefootballtimes.co/2016/11/22/the-insatiable-rise-of-parma-in-the-1990s/ |publisher=These Football Times |access-date=23 May 2024 |date=22 November 2016}} His style was not only spectacular, but also successful.{{cite web |title=Nevio Scala, dalla campagna ai successi in Europa col Parma |url=https://www.guerinsportivo.it/news/il-cuoio/2021/03/30-4071217/nevio_scala_dalla_campagna_ai_successi_in_europa_col_parma |publisher=www.guerinsportivo.it |access-date=23 May 2024 |language=it |date=30 March 2021}}

Scala also believed in the importance of the psychological aspect of the game, and in discussing issues with his players, as well as creating a united dressing room environment through fun, leadership, and good humour. Known for his ability to develop youth talent, he also felt it was important to give his younger players freedom rather than indoctrinate them through tactical discussions.{{cite web |title=The Rise and Fall of Parma |url=https://breakingthelines.com/historical/the-rise-and-fall-of-parma/ |publisher=Breaking The Lines |access-date=23 May 2024}} He also found ways to incorporate several talented players into his team; for example, upon the arrival of Gianfranco Zola at Parma, he successfully moved Swedish footballer Tomas Brolin into midfield, in order to accommodate for the Italian in the role of second striker.{{cite web |last1=Hall |first1=Richard |title=When Calcio Ruled the World: Tomas Brolin - |url=https://www.gentlemanultra.com/2016/05/31/when-calcio-ruled-the-world-tomas-brolin7280427/ |access-date=23 May 2024 |date=31 May 2016}} Scala's style even served as an inspiration for Zola as a manager.{{cite news |last1=Standard |first1=Ken Dyer, Evening |title=Zola is fashioning his team in style of Scala |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/zola-is-fashioning-his-team-in-style-of-scala-6805432.html |access-date=23 May 2024 |work=Evening Standard |date=13 April 2012 |language=en}}

=Managerial=

rowspan="2"\|Team !rowspan="2"\|From !rowspan="2"\|To !colspan="8"\|Record !rowspan="2"\|{{abbr\|Ref.\|Reference}}
class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" \|+ Managerial record by team and tenure
{{Tooltip\|M\|Matches coached}} !{{Tooltip\|W\|Matches won}} !{{Tooltip\|D\|Matches drawn}} !{{Tooltip\|L\|Matches lost}} !{{Tooltip\|GF\|Goals for}} !{{Tooltip\|GA\|Goals against}} !{{Tooltip\|GD\|Goal difference}} !{{Tooltip\|Win %\|Winning percentage}}
Reggina	1 July 1988	30 June 1989 {{WDL\|44\|15\|19\|10\|for=41\|against=41\|diff=yes}} \|
Parma	1 July 1989	30 June 1996 {{WDL\|322\|148\|95\|79\|for=418\|against=283\|diff=yes}} \|
Perugia	8 January 1997	30 June 1997 {{WDL\|19\|5\|5\|9\|for=29\|against=36\|diff=yes}} \|
Borussia Dortmund	1 July 1997	30 June 1998 {{WDL\|52\|21\|13\|18\|for=89\|against=69\|diff=yes}} \|
Beşiktaş	1 July 2000	6 March 2001 {{WDL\|37\|21\|6\|10\|for=73\|against=61\|diff=yes}} \|
Shakhtar Donetsk	19 January 2002	18 September 2002 {{WDL\|30\|20\|6\|4\|for=51\|against=25\|diff=yes}} \|
FC Spartak Moscow	10 December 2003	3 September 2004 {{WDL\|32\|12\|6\|14\|for=43\|against=47\|diff=yes}} \|
colspan="3"\|Total {{WDLtot\|536\|242\|150\|144\|for=744\|against=562\|diff=yes}} !