With D’Aversa at the helm, Torino are ready for a new chapter
A turning point. After 26 matchdays, Torino FC have decided to part ways with Marco Baroni and appoint Roberto D’Aversa as their new head coach. An experienced figure, D’Aversa is expected to provide an immediate response. The Granata currently sit just three points above the relegation zone, and with recent results taken into account, the risk of slipping further down the table is becoming increasingly real, as is the threat of getting dragged into a tense and unpredictable survival battle. The club’s choice reflects a focus on pragmatism and stability. Throughout his Serie A career, D’Aversa has often operated in high-pressure environments, fighting for survival until the final stretch of the season. On Sunday, Torino host SS Lazio - a tough opponent who are stronger on paper but also provide an ideal test to assess the team’s reaction under new management. With 12 matches remaining, there is still time to turn things around, and the squad has the quality to get back to the top of their game. D’Aversa brings fresh energy and a clear objective: to quickly define the team’s identity and steer it back on track.
Early success against Lanciano, instant impact at Parma
To understand Roberto D’Aversa’s coaching career, you have to go back to 2014, when he first took charge of Virtus Lanciano. In his debut season, he guided the team to a comfortable survival in Serie B, finishing 14th. He left midway through his second campaign in January 2016, with the team in the relegation zone.
A few months later came the call from Parma Calcio 1913 - the beginning of a partnership that would define the next chapter of his career. After the club’s bankruptcy in 2015, Parma were rebuilding and climbing back through the divisions. Having secured promotion to Serie C, the club entrusted the project to a young coach full of ambition. D’Aversa made an immediate impact. He led Parma through the playoffs, and on 17 June 2017 they beat US Alessandria Calcio 1912 2-0 in the final to return to Serie B. The following season brought another leap forward. Parma surprised many by winning promotion to Serie A, crowned champions and driven by the coach’s determination to take the club back to the top. In the top flight, the growth continued. Two relatively comfortable survival campaigns, finishing 14th and then 11th, closed his first long spell at the club. The Abruzzo-born coach left Parma in the summer of 2020. The separation did not last long. He returned in January 2021 to replace Fabio Liverani, but despite the comeback, relegation proved unavoidable at the end of the season.
Sampdoria, Lecce, Empoli: key survival battle
After ending his second spell with the Parma**, UC Sampdoria turned to the coach born in Stuttgart.** D’Aversa inherited a squad that had finished in mid-table the previous season. The club’s aim was to consolidate its position and secure stability, but the path proved more complicated than expected.
The first half of the season was inconsistent. Sampdoria dropped into the relegation zone before regaining momentum, boosted by a derby win over Genoa CFC, and climbing back out of danger. However, despite the recovery, a run of poor results eventually led to D’Aversa’s dismissal. He left the club in 14th place, still outside the relegation zone.
His next stop was US Lecce. The 2023/24 season started strongly for the Salentini, thanks in part to the solid structure and organisation implemented by D’Aversa. But the points collected in the first half of the campaign were not enough to secure safety. In early 2024, results dipped and a string of consecutive defeats led to his departure. As with Sampdoria, D’Aversa left Lecce with the team still above the relegation line (in 15th place and one point clear of danger).
Roberto D’Aversa remained in Serie A for the 2024/25 season, this time taking charge of Empoli FC. The early months followed a similar pattern to his previous spell in Puglia. After five matchdays, Empoli were still unbeaten, with two wins and three draws, and had climbed as high as fifth in the table. Gradually, however, the situation became more complicated. Results became harder to come by, and the team was drawn into a tense and hard-fought relegation battle. Meanwhile, things looked brighter in the Coppa Italia. Empoli knocked out Catanzaro, Torino FC, ACF Fiorentina, and even Juventus FC in the quarter-finals at the Allianz Stadium, advancing on penalties, before eventually being eliminated by Bologna FC 1909 in the two-legged semi-final. It was the story of a smaller club that came close to something special, only for the dream to fade after relegation to Serie B on the final matchday. D’Aversa fought until the end, securing two crucial wins in rounds 36 and 37 against AC Monza and Hellas Verona FC. But on matchday 38, Verona won 2-1 at the Stadio Castellani and sealed Empoli’s fate.
Looking back at Roberto D’Aversa’s career means looking at a coach who has always been willing to take on difficult challenges, bold in his decisions and experienced in high-pressure situations. His journey has been full of intense moments and defining chapters. Torino FC have now turned to him in the hope of bringing fresh energy and stability to the club.