Marco Tardelli is Egypt's New Manager

Marco Tardelli is Egypt's New Manager

Date: 25-3-2004
Wrote: EP's reporter Ahmed Abo El Dahab

After a long time of searching and lots of speculations the Egyptian Football Association has announced today that Mr. Marco Tardelli will be Egypt's new manager for the next 19 months. Mr. Essam Abdel Moneem, the president of the EFA announced this today in a press conference. He said that the new coach will be given all the support from the EFA members and that his main job is to qualify to the next World Cup in Germany.

Tardelli as a player

Egypt's long search had begun after the last CAN in Tunisia after Mr. Mohsen Saleh resigned from his post due to the bad results that Egypt achieved in the tournament. The new manager will begin his work after Egypt's friendly against Trinidad next week. Tardelli will be the first Italian ever to coach the national side, and he is also set to be paid the highest salary ever for any Egypt manger, with a wage said to be $40,000 monthly.

MARCO TARDELLI FACT FILE:

24/09/1954, Tardelli was born in Capanne di Careggine, near the Tuscan town of Lucca. No one at the time could have imagined that this young boy will one day turn to be a national hero. He began his football career in 1972 as a full-back with Seria C club Pisa where he spent two seasons there playing 41 games and scoring 4 goals. In 1974 Tardelli went to play for Seria B side Como. He spent only one season there where he played 36 matches and managed to score 2 goals. But in 1975 Tardelli was brought to Turin by Italian giants Juventus where he made his name. Just a year later, Tardelli achieved his first international cap against Portugal. He spent with Juventus, "the old lady" 10 years which he will never forget. His first season with the club ended with his club achieving 3rd in the table, but his 2nd season saw him lifting his first major trophy with Juventus, as Italian League winner. He went on to achieve 5 league titles and 2 Italian cups.

But tardelli made his name into the history of his club as he is one of those who have won all European competitions. The UEFA cup in 1977, the Cup Winner's Cup in 1984, the European Super Cup in 1984, beside Europe's biggest club competition, the European Cup in 1985. He was in the same team that had French legend Michael Platini. He played a total of 259 matches and scored 35 goals, in his midfield role. He was one of the best in Europe by that time.

He then joined Inter Milan and spent three seasons there, playing 71 matches and scoring 4 goals, but he was never capable of producing his old form with Juventus, and so didn't achieve anything with Inter. He spent his last days as a footballer playing for San Gallo and after that he hung up his boots and announced his retirement. On the international level, Tardelli had played 81 matches and managed to score 6 goals.

Tardelli's most important time of his career came in 1982. Italy had a very tough time in their group in the World Cup of that year, held in Spain. Italy managed to gain only 3 points from their group without a single win, and were very lucky to go into the second round. They were handed a very tough group against World Cup holders Argentina as well as favourites for the competition, Brazil. But Italy went on to top the group as Tardelli managed to score against Argentina, plus Marco Rossi's historic hat-trick against Brazil. In the semi-final, they went past Poland, and at the Santiago Bernabeu, Tardelli's biggest moment came. As the score was level at 1-1, Tardelli scored his second goal in the tournament and the second for his country against Germany. Tardelli didn't believe himself as he couldn't control himself and began to cry. His tears were never forgotten, nor his look after he had scored in the final.

His last international cap came against Norway in 1985. A lot of Juventus fans look to him as a true hero as his ten years as a player for Juve were the best of his career. As a manager he began in charge of Italy U-16s and after two years he became Cesar Maldini's assistant for Italy U-21s. He was then hired as Como manager for the season 1993/1994. He helped the club to be promoted from Seria C to B before the club was relegated back to Seria C. He was then appointed as Chezena manager, before returning to work with Cesar Maldini as his assistant for Italy during World Cup 1998. He then managed the U-21 Italian side, leading them to be European champions and then to the Sydney Olympics 2000 were Italy were knocked out of the quarter-final. After the Olympics, he was hired as Inter Milan coach were he spent there only one season, as Inter ended the year in 5th place. He was then hired as Bari coach from 20/12/2001 until 10/11/2003. The club couldn't gain promotion to Seria A so he was fired. At the beginning of the new year there was much speculation linking him with Greek club AEK, but it was only newspaper talk.

FANS REACTION AFTER ANNOUNCING TARDELLI AS EGYPT NEW MANAGER

After the EFA announced the signing of Tardelli many Egyptian fans has expressed their delight for having such a big name as Tardelli, but many others said that there are lots of concerns about him as a manager, as he has never been able to show his football ability as a player while in the role of a manager.

TARDELLI'S CONTRACT:

Marco Tardelli will be paid a salary of $40,000 monthly plus $5,500 for his assistant, former Italian international Gianini. He will be given $100,000 as a bonus if Egypt qualify to the World Cup and $60,000 if they win the next CAN which will be held in Egypt.