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Francesco Farioli

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Francesco Farioli
Personal information
Date of birth (1989-04-10) 10 April 1989 (age 36)
Place of birth Barga, Italy
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2008 Margine Coperta
Managerial career
2021 Fatih Karagümrük
2021–2023 Alanyaspor
2023–2024 Nice
2024–2025 Ajax
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Francesco Farioli (Italian pronunciation: [faˈrjɔːli]; born 10 April 1989) is an Italian professional football coach who last managed the Dutch football club Ajax.

Farioli started his coaching career in Turkey with spells at Fatih Karagümrük and Alanyaspor. He then had one season in charge of French club Nice in Ligue 1 before being appointed by Ajax in May 2024.

Career

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Early career

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Farioli studied philosophy and later sports science at the University of Florence.[1] He began his coaching career with Margine Coperta, a lower-division Italian football club, where he was goalkeeping coach from 2009 to 2011. [2] He subsequently worked as a goalkeeping coach for Fortis Juventus and Lucchese in the Italian Serie C. [3]

Farioli then joined the Aspire Academy in Qatar as a goalkeeping coach for the Qatar U16 national team. [4] While at Aspire, he met Roberto De Zerbi[4] and Jarkko Tuomisto.[5]

He returned to Italy to work as the goalkeeping coach for Benevento under De Zerbi during the 2017-18 season.[6] He then followed De Zerbi to Sassuolo, where he continued as goalkeeping coach from 2018 to 2020.[2]

Turkey

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Alanyaspor (assistant manager)

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Farioli's first role as an assistant manager was with the Turkish Süper Lig club Alanyaspor for the 2020–21 season under manager Çağdaş Atan.[7]

Fatih Karagümrük

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On 21 March 2021, he was appointed the head coach of Fatih Karagümrük, another Süper Lig club.[3] At 31, he was one of the youngest managers in a professional European league.[8] Farioli implemented a possession-based style of play at Fatih Karagümrük, a significant departure from the more direct approach common in the Süper Lig.[3] His team led the league in average possession (61.3%) and had the second-highest number of open-play passing sequences of 10 or more passes.[3] This tactical approach garnered attention for its distinctiveness. He managed Fatih Karagümrük until 12 December 2021.[9]

Return to Alanyaspor

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On 31 December 2021, he returned to Alanyaspor, this time as head coach.[10] Farioli guided Alanyaspor through the second half of the 2021–22 Süper Lig season, achieving 11 wins, 3 draws, and 5 losses in the 19 league games he managed.[citation needed] The team finished the season in 5th place[11] and reached the semi-finals of the 2021–22 Turkish Cup.[12] In the 2022–23 Süper Lig season, Farioli oversaw the first 22 league matches, recording 6 wins, 7 draws, and 9 losses,[citation needed] before leaving the club by his own decision on 27 February 2023.[13]

Nice

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On 30 June 2023, Farioli joined French Ligue 1 side Nice as manager, signing a two-year contract.[14] During his time at Nice, Farioli implemented a distinctive tactical system with influences from his previous mentor, Roberto De Zerbi, emphasizing possession-based football and a high defensive line.[15] This approach led to a strong start to the 2023-24 Ligue 1 season, with Nice briefly challenging Paris Saint-Germain for the top spot in the league standings.[16] Despite some decline in form later in the season,[17] Nice finished the 2023–24 Ligue 1 season in 5th place, securing qualification for the UEFA Europa League.[18] In September 2023, Farioli obtained his UEFA Pro Licence.[19]

Ajax

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On 23 May 2024, Farioli signed a three-year contract with Dutch club Ajax, becoming their first-ever Italian head coach.[20] This appointment marked the first time Ajax had appointed a foreign manager since Morten Olsen in the 1997–98 season.[21] Taking charge after Ajax's difficult 2023–24 season, Farioli applied his defensive coaching strengths, previously seen at Nice, to improve the team's stability.[22]

Farioli's focus on organization, combined with frequent squad rotation and player development, contributed to Ajax achieving the league's best defence and reaching first place in the Eredivisie by late March 2025.[22] His tactical approach gained particular attention following a crucial 2–0 away victory against title rivals PSV in late March 2025. Analyses highlighted Farioli's specific preparation against PSV's system, including particular ways Ajax pressured PSV and used planned player movements intended to open up attacking opportunities, as well as effective in-game adjustments, such as switching to a 5-4-1 formation late in the match to secure the result.[23]

Ajax suffered a historic collapse, squandering a nine-point lead with five matches left, allowing PSV Eindhoven to claim the 2024–25 Eredivisie title.[24] Farioli was visibly emotional after their final match and stated he had no regrets despite the dramatic failure. However, tensions between Farioli and Ajax's executive board have reportedly escalated, with disagreements over tactics, transfers, and finances, leading to speculation that he may soon leave the club.[25] On 19 May 2025, Farioli decided to leave Ajax.[26]

Tactics

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Francesco Farioli's coaching style, influenced by Roberto De Zerbi but with his own ideas,[15][27] typically involves keeping the ball (possession) and building play carefully from the back to control the midfield.[15][27] His teams often concentrate players centrally, using short passes to dictate the game's pace and quickly attempt to regain possession after losing the ball.[15][27] Key ideas include using quick passing sequences to bypass opponents and adjusting the speed of attacks based on the opposition.[27][15]

Attacking play focuses on finding space between defenders, creating advantages on the wings, and moving multiple players into the opponent's penalty box.[15][27] Defensively, Farioli emphasizes aggressive high pressing – challenging opponents near their own goal.[15][27] When defending deeper, his teams tend to stay compact (close together), protecting central areas and forcing attacks towards the sidelines, while remaining ready to press high again when feasible.[15][27] He has also shown tactical adaptability, for example at Ajax where analysis suggested a shift towards greater defensive solidity and efficiency.[22]

Managerial statistics

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As of 18 May 2025
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team Nat. From To Record
G W D L GF GA GD Win %
Fatih Karagümrük Turkey 22 March 2021 16 December 2021 27 11 8 8 43 39 +4 040.74
Alanyaspor Turkey 31 December 2021 27 February 2023 48 20 12 16 82 76 +6 041.67
Nice France 30 June 2023 23 May 2024 38 17 11 10 48 35 +13 044.74
Ajax Netherlands 23 May 2024 19 May 2025 54 35 7 12 102 53 +49 064.81
Total 167 83 38 46 275 203 +72 049.70

References

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  1. ^ "Ajax line up 35-year-old Francesco Farioli as new head coach". Dutch News. 15 May 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Il Barcellona a lezione da Francesco Farioli, ex assistente di De Zerbi al Sassuolo". Canale Sassuolo (in Italian). 25 February 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d "Francesco Farioli's Revolution at Fatih Karagümrük". Opta Analyst. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  4. ^ a b "What Ajax fans should know about their new head coach Francesco Farioli". Pulse Sports. 18 August 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  5. ^ Kaksi suomalaista jalkapallovalmentajaa tekee pian historiaa, mutta nukkuuko suomalainen urheilumedia jälleen Ruususen unta?, apu.fi, 19 August 2024
  6. ^ Rossi, Stefano (4 August 2021). "Da qui a Istanbul, i treni presi in corsa da mister Farioli: è toscano il più giovane allenatore d'Europa". Corriere Fiorentino.
  7. ^ "Alanyaspor'un antrenörü sosyal medyadan duyurdu". Alanya Postası (in Turkish). 5 April 2019. Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  8. ^ "Fatih Karagümrük'te Francesco Farioli dönemi". Hürriyet (in Turkish). Retrieved 2 April 2025.
  9. ^ "Son dakika: Fatih Karagümrük'te Francesco Farioli ile yollar ayrıldı". Hürriyet (in Turkish). Retrieved 2 April 2025.
  10. ^ "Francesco Farioli Aytemiz Alanyaspor'umuzda". Alanyaspor (in Turkish). Archived from the original on 31 December 2021. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  11. ^ "STSL Arşiv » TFF". Turkish Football Federation (in Turkish). Retrieved 2 April 2025.
  12. ^ "ZTK Arşiv » TFF". Turkish Football Federation (in Turkish). Retrieved 2 April 2025.
  13. ^ "Farioli working on Alanyaspor exit". Football Italia. 27 February 2023. Retrieved 2 April 2025.
  14. ^ "Francesco Farioli nouvel entraîneur de l'OGC Nice" (in French). OGC Nice. 30 June 2023.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h "Francesco Farioli – OGC Nice – Tactical Analysis". The Football Analyst. 26 January 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  16. ^ "From philosophy class to top of the league? Nice's new coach Farioli eyes 1st place in France". Associated Press. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  17. ^ "OGC Nice manager Francesco Farioli responds to Ajax links". Get French Football News. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  18. ^ "Classement - Ligue 1 Uber Eats - 2023/2024". Ligue 1. Retrieved 2 April 2025.
  19. ^ "Francesco Farioli (entraîneur de Nice) obtient sa licence UEFA Pro" (in French). L'Équipe. 6 September 2023.
  20. ^ "Francesco Farioli new Ajax head coach". english.ajax.nl. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  21. ^ "Foreign coaches in Mokum". english.ajax.nl. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  22. ^ a b c Berger, Joost (26 March 2025). "Rebuilding Ajax: How Francesco Farioli Has Transformed the Dutch Giants". The Analyst. Retrieved 26 March 2025.
  23. ^ Visser, Lars (30 March 2025). "Tactische analyse: het verschil tussen PSV en Ajax is Francesco Farioli". VoetbalPrimeur (in Dutch). Retrieved 2 April 2025.
  24. ^ Renard, Arthur (18 May 2025). "A tale of nine points & the 99th minute - how Ajax blew title". BBC Sport.
  25. ^ "Farioli resigns as Ajax coach due to 'different visions'". France 24. 19 May 2025.
  26. ^ "Francesco Farioli decides to leave Ajax". AFC Ajax. 19 May 2025.
  27. ^ a b c d e f g "Francesco Farioli - Ajax - Tactical Analysis". The Football Analyst. 1 September 2024. Retrieved 26 March 2025.
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