The interim coach who took over from Zdeněk Zeman in 2013, Aurelio Andreazzoli, has been the long-serving technique coach of AS Roma. Now, he’s back in a full capacity as an Assistant to Luciano Spalletti, in charge of shaping up the defensive line.
The return of another beloved familiar face
A fellow Tuscan like Luciano Spalletti, Andreazzoli initially joined Roma in 2005 along with Spalletti at the start of his first stint with the team. Unlike many other assistant coaches, he remained with the team following Spalletti’s departure. Mind you, the role he served at the point was much different than the one he served earlier—he was more of a second opinion, a different set of eyes on the team than working directly with the players in matches. Yet when promoted to caretaker following Zeman’s dismissal in 2013, he demonstrated that he was capable of transforming Zeman’s dynamic attacking side into a defensively sound unit.
It is this defensive knowledge that Spalletti seeks to have reapplied to the squad. It will be of particular importance to his young backline, consisting of players under the age of 25 like Digne, Rudiger, Manolas, Florenzi, Gyomber and Emerson. Florenzi especially will benefit from Andreazzoli’s experience, as he recently reverted to being a defender after converting to an attacking winger earlier in his career and will look to start for Antonio Conte’s Italy side this summer in France.
It could be that Spalletti is utilizing Andreazzoli as a familiar face of approval for his players to ease their transition into the new tactics that will certainly be unfamiliar to many. Andrezzoli is a beloved character at the club, both by the players and the supporters. An honorary Roman, along with Vito Scala are the two most instantly recognizable characters of the supporting technical staff.
His return, without question, is a good omen for supporters along with Spalletti. Now that Roma have returned to their winning ways, their strong defensive display against Real Madrid can only be attributed to one man – Aurelio Andreazzoli. He’s a true legend of the club—it’s about time that he receives his proper credit where it is due.
