Italy: Firenze Guelfi part ways with head coach mid-season

| American Football | 04/13/2017

Italy’s Firenze Guelfi released a statement last week announcing head coach Matteo Dinelli will no longer be with the club.

Club president Alessandro Dallai;

“We were aware of these personal problems at the beginning of the season, but we continued this relationship on the basis of good achievements in 2016. I thank, on behalf of all members of A.S.D. I Guelfi Firenze, Matteo Dinelli for his work and the dedicated commitment to the cause of American football in ‘terra fiorentina’.”

The FIDAF Divisione 1 club announced that the termination was amicable and the head coach position will be filled in the interim by Filippo Paciaroni, who will lead the senior team until the end of the season.

Firenze is win-less thus far this season, 0-5, but have a quarterback and wide receiver with stats among Italy’s best. Import quarterback Eddie Printz and wide receiver Mike Vanucci lead Italy in rushing and receiving yards, respectively. The problem seems to lie in the Guelfi defense, which gives up an average of 42.8 points per game, the most in the Divisione 1.

Firenze continues the second half of their season on April 23 when they meet the UTA Pesaro (1-3).

John McKeon is a former professional and collegiate American Football player and coach now living and working in New York. His goal is to spread news, information, and opinion on the global growth of the sport he loves.