Marco Giampaolo (foto: Getty Images)
Cremonese stunned Parma with a 2-0 away win in the Coppa Italia before sacking head coach Marco Giampaolo later the same evening.
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Cremonese produced one of the surprises of the Coppa Italia round of 32 by beating Parma 2-0 away from home, only to make an even more surprising announcement later that evening by dismissing head coach
Marco Giampaolo.
The Serie B side secured an impressive victory at the Ennio Tardini through goals from Simone Lottici Tessadri and Adin Ličina, earning a place in the last 16 of the competition. Cremonese will face Como in the next round, but Giampaolo will no longer be in charge when that match takes place.
Giampaolo dismissed despite cup victory
Only hours after the final whistle in Parma, Cremonese confirmed that they had decided to make a change on the bench.
"Cremonese have relieved Marco Giampaolo of his duties as first-team coach," the club announced, while thanking the 59-year-old for his professionalism, work and commitment.
The timing made the decision particularly striking. Giampaolo had just overseen one of Cremonese's best results of the early season, eliminating a top-flight opponent away from home without conceding a goal.
However, reports in Italy suggest the decision had effectively been driven by the club's poor start to the Serie B campaign rather than the cup performance.
Poor Serie B start proves decisive
Cremonese opened their league season with a 1-0 defeat away to Empoli before suffering an even more damaging 3-0 home loss against Modena.
Those two results appear to have convinced the club's hierarchy that a coaching change was required, with the victory over Parma ultimately not enough to save Giampaolo's position.
Giampaolo had only been in charge since March 18, when he succeeded Davide Nicola. He was unable to prevent Cremonese from being relegated from Serie A and was subsequently entrusted with leading their attempt to return to the Italian top flight.
That project has now ended after only two Serie B matches of the new campaign.
Giampaolo therefore leaves Cremonese in highly unusual circumstances: his final match produced a 2-0 away victory over Parma and qualification for the Coppa Italia last 16, but only a few hours later he was no longer the club's coach.