From World champions to coaches: Italy’s 2006 heroes face mixed fortunes | OneFootball

While Fabio Grosso and Daniele De Rossi have had a very poor start to the season, there are two 2006 Italy World Cup winners, Gennaro Gattuso and Filippo Inzaghi, at the top of the Serie A and Serie B standings.

La Gazzetta dello Sport examines results from 2006 Italy World Cup winners who have become coaches.

FLORENCE, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 5: Head coach Fabio Grosso manager of ACF Fiorentina gestures during the Serie A match between ACF Fiorentina and Torino FC at Stadio Artemio Franchi on September 5, 2026 in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)

So far, none of the players who lifted the World Cup 20 years ago has reached the same high level in management.

Grosso has made headlines as he was sacked by Fiorentina after just three Serie A matches, all lost by the Tuscans.

The man who netted the decisive penalty in the shootout in the 2006 Final against France has had mixed fortunes on the bench, but was coming from two solid campaigns at Sassuolo. He was also, as admitted by Paolo Maldini, one of his candidates for the Italy bench in the summer.

ROME, ITALY – AUGUST 30: Daniele De Rossi, Head Coach of Genoa, looks on before the Serie A match between SS Lazio and Genoa CFC at Stadio Olimpico on August 30, 2026 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)

The same is true of Genoa coach De Rossi, who has also lost all his opening three Serie A games this season.

“Grosso and De Rossi combined six defeats in six matches. An unforeseen disaster for Fiorentina and a disappointment, nonetheless, a major one at Genoa,” Gazzetta examined.

“Everyone is ready to list the defeats suffered by the 2006 World Cup champions who have gone into coaching: Pirlo piling up disappointments, Cannavaro heading to Uzbekistan, Gilardino left without a club. Do they perhaps think that having been great footballers is enough to become successful coaches?”

There is, however, also good news coming from Lazio and Palermo.

The Biancocelesti, coached by Gattuso, who failed to qualify for the World Cup with the Azzurri in March, have won all their three games, joining Inter and Roma at the top of the Serie A table.

UDINE, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 07: SS Lazio head coach Gennaro Gattuso during the Serie A match between Udinese Calcio and SS Lazio at Stadio Friuli on September 07, 2026 in Udine, Italy. (Photo by Marco Rosi – SS Lazio/Getty Images)

Likewise, Inzaghi’s Palermo lead Serie B with nine points, two more than Mantova, Sud Tirol and Ascoli.

“Gattuso’s Lazio beat Udine on Monday, while Pippo Inzaghi’s Palermo beat Sampdoria,” wrote Gazzetta.

“And so we rediscover that the 2006 boys are top of the table in Serie A and in Serie B, where Nesta has also made a good start.

“Suddenly, the theory that the World Cup champions don’t know how to coach quickly falls apart. The truth is that there are no groups of former footballers who are inherently good or bad on the bench. Each of them writes their own history, with highs, lows and different moments. It is all perfectly normal.

TURIN, ITALY – JANUARY 04: Filippo Inzaghi, Head Coach of US Salernitana, looks on prior to the Coppa Italia Round of 16 match between Juventus FC and US Salernitana at Allianz Stadium on January 04, 2024 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)

“What we still love, though, is the passion with which these guys are willing to test themselves. They were stars in the biggest stadiums in the world; now they are eager to fight on every pitch, even those in the most modest corners of the footballing world. And that’s a beautiful thing.”