Dundalk’s Italian boss dreams of bossing Hoops
Dundalk boss Filippo Giovagnoli has revealed dreams of one day managing Celtic.
The Italian coach received praise across the continent when leading the Lilywhites to the Europa League group stages just months after his appointment – a feat worth over £2.5 million to the League of Ireland club. He followed in the footsteps of Michael O’neill with Shamrock Rovers and Stephen Kenny, also with Dundalk, in leading Irish sides to one of Europe’s biggest stages.
Both subsequently went on to bigger and better things.
O’neill had nine years in charge of Northern Ireland before switching back to club football with Stoke City.
Kenny, a name familiar to Dunfermline fans from his spell in charge at East End Park in 2006-07, is the current boss of the Republic of Ireland.
And while Giovagnoli’s side found the group stages too much of a step up, Thursday’s 4-2 defeat by Arsenal ensuring they finished the campaign without a point, it has not taken the gloss off his achievement.
It won him a contract extension from Dundalk and gave the 50-yearold, who never got above the level of Serie C in his playing days, the licence to think in terms of an upwardly mobile coaching career.
“At the moment I have a contract with Dundalk, but in the future it would be nice to come and coach in Scotland,” he said. “I follow Scottish football with great interest, especially Celtic matches because of the club’s Irish connections.
“The championship there is fascinating and I speak as someone who has done a lot of travelling.
“However, while there been a good few Italian players who have done well in the Scottish Premiership, I don’t remember there have been any coaches.
“It would be great to be the first and the dream would be to coach Celtic!
“I have always watched the Old Firm matches. It is a fantastic derby, full of passion and a game that generates so much emotion from the fans.
“Of course I also watch Rangers, especially to see how Steven Gerrard works. He is a true icon of world football.”
Meanwhile, he is happy to count his blessings.
“In Ireland I found a different game to the one I was used to, very physical and not so technical,” he said.
“Fortunately I have a squad made up of great professionals, who were immediately open to new ideas.
“So with my assistant Giuseppe Rossi, we are always working to improve our game. “That is something we really need to do because I believe that in Ireland at the moment, only ourselves and Shamrock Rovers really look to create, the others set up to stop you playing.”
Filippo Giovagnoli would love a crack at Scottish football