Italiano Voices at Beşiktaş — Italy Mission for Italiano Begins

While the post-season technical director crisis at Beşiktaş continues with intensity, another important name has fallen on Önder Özen's table: Vincenzo Italiano. According to the news of Gianluca Di Marzio, one of the leading sources of Italian football media, 48-year-old Italiano, who parted ways with Bologna at the end of the season, came together with Beşiktaş Football Director Önder Özen and held a meeting. The meeting is part of the second European tour Önder Özen has started after the Portugal trip — following the meeting with Filipe Luís that did not yield positive results. The main destination of this tour is Italy and the name at the top of the list is Italiano.

The most critical development for Beşiktaş came from the Italy front. Napoli, shown as Italiano's strongest competitor, officially solved the technical director crisis with Massimiliano Allegri. The Italian commentator community reported that the blue-and-white club, although also keeping Italiano on the list, ultimately preferred Allegri's experience. This means the biggest door in Italy has closed for Italiano. There is currently no other Serie A giant in Italy that has given Italiano a concrete offer. This makes the offer on Beşiktaş's table attractive — the idea of going outside Italy for the first time in his career has become serious for Italiano.

Vincenzo Italiano has been one of the most talked-about technical names in Italian football for the last few years. Starting his career in the lower leagues at Vigontina and Arzignano, the Italian caught his first big breakthrough at Trapani. After taking the Sicilian team to Serie B, he took over Spezia. With Spezia, Italiano signed the most important milestone in club history, taking the team to Serie A for the first time in club history in the 2020-21 season — placing this small club at the peak of the giant football world was greeted like a miracle. The next step was Fiorentina. In the three seasons he spent in Florence, he carried Viola back to European cups, played in two consecutive UEFA Conference League finals (2023 against West Ham 1-2, 2024 against Olympiakos 0-1 in extra time) and one Italian Cup final. Although he could not win the cup in any of the finals, the high-tempo, flank-focused, vertical and aggressive football he played gathered great appreciation in Italy and Europe.

The 2024-25 season was the shining moment of Italiano's coaching career. The Italian, who joined forces with Bologna, took the Rossoblu to one of the most successful seasons in the club's modern football history. Bologna won the Coppa Italia that season, giving Italiano his first major cup of his career; on top of that, he also received the 2025 Serie A "Coach of the Year" award. He entered among the favourite names of Europe for carrying Bologna to the Champions League in the 2025-26 season. But at the end of the season — even though he extended his contract until 2027 — the parting of ways with Bologna was announced. Domenico Tedesco, the former coach of Fenerbahçe, came to the Bologna technical directorship.

Italiano's football philosophy drops an illuminating note for the new period in the minds of the Beşiktaş management. In his UEFA Pro license thesis, the Italian coach summarized his game understanding with these words: "My preferred system is 4-3-3. I love a vertical and aggressive football understanding. I want my team to go to the opponent's goal in the fastest way the moment they win the ball." High pressing, wide attack fed from the flanks, fast transitions and instant reaction to ball losses. This is one of the most popular models of modern football — a language close to the school of names like Pep Guardiola, Jürgen Klopp, Roberto De Zerbi. For a club like Beşiktaş that houses star players but has experienced an identity crisis in recent years, Italiano's system can be different from the "traditional Beşiktaş" understanding of the founding years but exciting.

There is another important detail for Italiano: The 48-year-old technical director has never worked outside Italy throughout his career. Beşiktaş will be his first overseas adventure. This is a picture that contains both opportunity and risk. The closing of the Napoli door with Allegri, the lack of a serious offer not coming from another Serie A giant and Beşiktaş presenting a high project make the factors that bring Italiano closer to Istanbul. The Italian media reported that the parties exchanged mutual ideas in the meeting with Beşiktaş, and that Italiano listened to Beşiktaş's new season project. The black-and-white management, on the other hand, expects Italiano to clarify his decision in a short time.

Looking at the Beşiktaş front, it is understood how intense a crisis is being gone through. The black-and-whites won their last championship in the 2020-21 season under Sergen Yalçın. The next five seasons will be remembered as a "lost period." In the 2021-22 season Sergen Yalçın fell short and left, temporary duty with Önder Karaveli, then the Valerien Ismael experiment — closed the season in 6th place in Super League. In the 2022-23 season former national team coach Şenol Güneş returned, took the team to 3rd place but could not enter the title race. The 2023-24 season witnessed three coaching changes: Rıza Çalımbay, Şenol Güneş once more, then Fernando Santos — the Portuguese coach left office with a much worse performance than expected, the team finished Super League in 4th. The 2024-25 season was also not very pleasant: Giovanni van Bronckhorst's project was cut in the middle, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer came as a temporary solution but could not catch a ray of hope.

The 2025-26 season started with the second period of Sergen Yalçın. In this process where his career returned to Beşiktaş, although Yalçın gained some hope with double-digit victories, on the average of the season he could not approach the top of the Super League. As of the end of the season, paths parted with Sergen Yalçın and Önder Özen came back to office as football director. Beşiktaş management's goal is clear: bring a coach who will end the 6-year title drought. Italiano responds to these expectations as one of modern football's most respected names. Moreover, at 48 and seriously considering the first overseas step in his career plan.

Istanbul could be a testing ground for Italiano. On one hand, a big club before the Champions League; on the other hand, a quite tiring structure in terms of press pressure, management changes, player star problems and transfer economy. The "high-tempo flank football" Italiano will bring to Beşiktaş will mean a new identity for the black-and-white fans. As a coach who values the development of young players, Italiano can signal a long-term project for talents like Semih Kılıçsoy in the squad. But the attack line needs a fundamental restructuring; this will mean shaping the summer transfers around Italiano's demands.

In the coming days, eyes will turn to these three points: Italiano's second meeting with Önder Özen (if it happens), whether Italiano's financial demands match with Beşiktaş's budget and whether the Italian coach will really say "yes" to the Turkey adventure. If this process is not completed by the weekend, names like Răzvan Lucescu (PAOK), Nuri Şahin (former Borussia Dortmund coach) and İlhan Palut (Konyaspor) are also on Beşiktaş management's alternative list. Lucescu has great respect in Greece, while Nuri Şahin, as a young coach raised by Turkish football, can add "domestic spirit" to Beşiktaş. Palut is one of the most consistent Turkish coaches in Super League. However, Italiano's position is now at the top of Beşiktaş's list, and with the Napoli factor also being out, there is a serious advantage on the table. Istanbul will most likely open the next act of Italiano's career.

To summarise in a paragraph: Beşiktaş has taken a serious step on the path to reaching a result with Vincenzo Italiano. Önder Özen's meeting with Italiano was confirmed by Italian press starting with Di Marzio. Napoli's official agreement with Massimiliano Allegri has brought Beşiktaş forward as the strongest alternative for Italiano. The 48-year-old coach's career story — taking Spezia to Serie A, reaching European cups with Fiorentina, winning the Italian Cup championship with Bologna — makes him an exciting name for Turkish football audiences. The black-and-whites, who have suffered a 6-year title drought, want to start a new period with one of modern football's respected names. On the alternative list are Răzvan Lucescu, Nuri Şahin and İlhan Palut. The weekend may witness critical developments.

Source: Gianluca Di Marzio

Image: flashscore.com