Last weekend, almost at the same time, two presidents confessed their mistakes, by reinstating a coach they sent away before. "I made a mistake" says Torino President, Urbano Cairo, "maybe Zaccheroni could have done better with a squad built by him". The history of the Granata is really unbelievable: Gianni De Biasi, the coach that lead the team to promotion, was sent away before the beginning of the season. Cairo hired Zaccheroni, maybe he thought the Cesenatico coach was more experienced, as he coached Milan, Lazio and Inter.

Five consecutive defeats and a bad position in Serie A table (just a little bit above the relegation zone) put Zac's position in danger. Last Saturday Torino played away at ChievoVerona, and it was clear this was the last ditch for him. Just before the game the Rosina-gate made a noise: Torino striker in his personal website gave bad rankings to the whole team -except himself- and in Verona was sent to the stand. Torino lost 0-3 and the defeat was lethal to Zaccheroni. So, Cairo went back to the past, again with De Biasi.

In Cagliari, it happened almost the same. President Cellino called up Marco Giampaolo last summer after young coach did very well at Ascoli, but as usual it's not easy to work with that kind of Presdient. Cellino is a little bossy, and in Italy we say that executives like him are "Mangia-allenatori" (Coach-eaters), meaning they change coaches just like they change their shirt. That's why Cellino in December sent Giampaolo away, while Cagliari was playing badly but was just in a safe position.

Cagliari had a new coach, the experienced Franco Colomba. But the former Reggina trainer did not satisfy his chairman, who lives in Miami and manages the club from overseas. Last Sunday, after Cagliari's defeat against Lazio, Cellino decided to call Giampaolo again. In the meantime, Giampaolo had left Cagliari, his house and changed the school to his sons in another part of Italy. Unfortunately for him, the coach has still a contract in place; so, if he didn't accept to come back, he'd loose his salary from now until contract expiry.

Tomorrow the tricks of fate -and Serie A schedules, of course- will play off De Biasi against Giampaolo, for day 26. At least one of them won't loose, and a president will be, finally, happier than before.

Lesile Lievesley is a 36 y.o. man from Staveley, Derbyshire. He's a goodlooks man, always smiling. When he was a boy, he used to play football at Doncaster Rovers, Crystal Palace and Manchester United (where he played only two matches in 1932), with no results. He runs in the family, his father was English National Team goalkeeper. In the summer of 1947, when coach Luigi Ferrero leaver Torino and young teams coach Sperone gets a promotion, president Ferruccio Novo hires Lievesley for his breeding ground: funds are few, so better raise some talentous boy and make money with his transfer. Lievesley seems to be the right person for this task.

His arrival has a violent impact: he also has in his tasks the athletic training of Grande Torino, and some players don't like his methods, too hard to them. Especially Gabetto and Marsso, that immediately named him "L’Ingleìs". Torino of Sperone wins 47/48 Serie A, and it's the fourth consecutive Scudetto, and for Novo it's normal giving to Lievesley the main team coach title. He also knows very welle the WM tactics, thet in Englans is in place since the 20's. Close to him Ernest ‘Egri’ Erbstein, as technical director. On the other side of Turin, in 1948 Juventus' coach is Renato Cesarini, the striker of the Golden Age of Bianconeri (5 titles between 1931 and 1935). At the end Juventus is second, but Cesarini comes back to Argentina, because of the results but also due to Lira depreciationthat makes his salary lower than expected. Just in Turin, no May 16th 1948, the Azzurri got a football lesson by the English teachers: a 0-4 that raises a lot of discussion. That's why young president Agnelli decides to look for an English coach.

William Chalmers becomes the new Juventus coach. Hes Scottish, and a former player of Glasgow Ranges and Newcastle. He is 43 and comes from Aldershot Town FC. Inter Milan hires a complete stranger, John David Astley, that will lead the team together with director Giulio Cappelli. That summer, even the Italian National team might have an English coach: Pozzo is dismissed after the Olympic Games and someone would like the famous coach Whittaker, but at the end nationalism predominates. Chalmers e Astley are a bluff, the first one has a very strong team (Boniperti, Parola, and Danish striker John Hansen) but at the end is fourth; Astley is deprived of authority in favour of Cappelli even for the daily training, and is sent away after two thirds of the season.
Lievesley? The granata coach goes very well in that 1948/49, he wins the scudetto but unfortunately dies in Superga crash together with Grande Torino, on May 4th.

In the meantime, Gianni Agnelli hires a new British coach, in spite of his baad experience with Chalmers. In the summer of Jesse Carver, ex Dutch national team coach, and coming from Milwall FC is the new Juventus' coach. He will be the last of UK coaches in that period of Serie A, and the one who remained for more time. HE wins the championship immediatelu -after 15 years- thanks to Boniperti, Hansen and the other Danish Praest. The Welsh man likes attacking game and runs a lot of risks (famous his 1-7 defeat at AC Milan, the second classified that year), moreover he tries for the very first time the zone marking. Though his game is spectacular, after a third place during his second year, he is replaced by great Hungarian Gyorgi Sarosi. Carver starts awondering around Italy, and will be a coact at Marzotto Valdagno, Torino, Roma, Lazio, Inter e Genoa. He'll be back also teice in England, at West Bromwich and Coventry City, but he won't win anymore.

Three games in a week, then the longest stop we’ve ever seen in serie A between Dec. 24th to Jan 14th. This evening we’re in the middle of the “Tour de Force”, with Inter Milan and AS Roma away for very dangerous matches. In particular, it won’t be easy for Inter at Stadio Olimpico in Rome. The Nerazzurri has a very bad tradition against SS Lazio, its “bete noir”. They lost twice a scudetto there at the very last game, in 1935 and 2002, with the same score: 4-2. Inter fans don’t forget Ronaldo seated on the bench after the substitution, sobbing like a baby, on that damned 5th of May.

Today it’s another Inter, not only for technical characteristics but also for its strength of mind. Even Adriano’s delay last Monday, when he didn’t show up in the morning training session, something that would have created a case last year, has been tolerated by coach Mancini. So, the Brazilian striker is in today’s match list. SS Lazio is in good shape, after its win in Rome derby the Biancocelesti drew in Livorno (but they deserved to win) and still want to confirm the tradition: last win at the Olimpico for Moratti’s team is dated March 3rd, 1996: 1-0 with an own goal by Alessandro Nesta. Will Inter invert the course? Mancini, former Lazio player and coach, hopes so.

Another “Stadio Olimpico”, this time in Turin, is the stage of the second most important match of day 17, Torino-AS Roma. The Turinese, after a bad beginning of season, has marked 13 points in last six games, drawing only with Milan away. Coach Zaccheroni is very experienced, and President Cairo did well leaving him at his place,even when everybody was asking his dismissal. Young star Alessandro Rosina is new idol for the Granata fans. It won’t be easy also for AS Roma, despite the good match Sunday night (4-0 to Palermo). By the way, for January transfers session the Giallorossi have signed Francesco Tavano, on loan from Valencia.

Elsewhere, Palermo can take its revenge, playing home against taillight Ascoli, AC Milan needs an important success facing outsider Catania (the Sicilian are fourth, fighting for UCL qualifying). Atalanta vs Udinese, Messina vs Parma, Chievo vs Reggina, Sampdoria vs Livorno, Empoli vs Siena (a Tuscany derby) and Cagliari vs Fiorentina complete day 17. We just hope this evening we won’t see all referees’ mistakes as last Sunday, when everybody (players, coaches, executives) made a scene for everything.