From Foggia to Foggia, despite the age. Like it or not, the controversial Zdenek Zeman, born in 1947 in Prague, continues to be talked about even at the age of 74. Sitting on the bench of the team that launched him in the football that counts, he continues to teach "his" philosophy of football in Foggia, for what is the fourth return to the capital of Puglia, in the Serie C championship. to write a new page of the Zemanlandia saga, which in 2009 became a documentary film on the sporting achievements of Zeman's Foggia, capable of arriving in Serie A by winning the 1990-1991 cadet championship, and then conquering salvation for three seasons by touching a sensational access to Uefa Cup, vanished on the last day against Napoli.

A thousand benches

His phrases have often become footballing pearls of wisdom. The Bohemian maestro dispensed many of them in his 47 years as a coach, the vast majority spent in Italy (even on the Cagliari bench, in the 2014-2015 season which ended with relegation to Serie B, with exemption in December, to give way to Gianfranco Zola, returning to the helm of the rossoblùs in March and another farewell in April, replaced by Gianluca Festa). Mister "a thousand benches", but there are many more, he spared no one. From the players he coached and who often complained about physical sessions that were too hard. «Some players say I run too much? When I live on the waterfront, every morning I see a lot of people running around. And they are not paid by anyone ».

Or to those who pointed out the too many cigarettes he smoked: "I don't count them, otherwise I'd get nervous and smoke more." He has always tried to let his teams play to entertain the public: «In today's football», he said one day, «only the result counts. Nobody thinks about making people have fun. It no longer matters whether the audience goes to the stadium or somewhere else ». So, on the day of his umpteenth presentation in Foggia, he reiterated: "I'm here to play proactive football." And his outings against doping in football have been famous, raising gigantic controversies and very harsh reactions.

In search of freedom

The first time that Zdenek Zeman, the son of a primary at the Prague hospital, crosses the Italian border is 1968: he goes on vacation to Palermo with his sister to find an uncle. He returned to his homeland after the riots of the Prague Spring but the following year he returned to Palermo in search of the freedom that his land could no longer give him. It was 1975 when he obtained Italian citizenship. He marries an Italian with whom he will have two children. The first adventures as a coach are in Sicilian teams: Cinisi, Bacigalupo, Carini, just to name a few. Then there are the Palermo youth teams. His game, even in the lowest categories, is always sparkling and conquers the then president of Licata: Zeman takes the team from C2 to C1 with many goals scored (but also many conceded). In 1986-1987 the first time in Foggia. Goes wrong. Exempted because it seems he had an agreement with Parma, he effectively becomes the coach of the Emilians in Serie B. The adventure does not last long. Then there is Messina and, in 1989, the return to Foggia.

The trio of wonders and Rome

It is the high point for Zeman. He wins the Serie B championship (after an uphill start) with the best attack thanks to the “trio of wonders” Baiano-Signori-Rambaudi.

These are magical years. Three championships in Serie A with the dream of reaching Uefa. The coach launches many players such as Di Biagio, the young Padalino, the Russians Shalimov and Kolyivanov, the Romanian Petrescu. The three years in the Rossoneri are the springboard for Zeman. In 1994-1995 the call from Lazio arrives. Extraordinary season, with second place, as well as the second, with a third place and Beppe Signori top scorer in Serie A. In 1997 he moved to the Rome of president Franco Sensi: two championships, fourth and fifth place, then farewell. With the greats of Italian football it is no longer good: after three months' experience in Turkey at the helm of Fenerbahce, there is Napoli: two points in six games, and exemption.

Foggia-bis, super Pescara and the sunset

Between ups and downs (with Salernitana, Avellino, Lecce, Brescia and Stella Rossa) in 2010-2011 he returned to Foggia for the third time. The old president Pasquale Casillo is back. In Lega Pro he is sixth: best attack (with a couple formed by Lorenzo Insigne and Marco Sau, top scorer) and, coincidentally, also the most beaten defense. Then it's the turn of Pescara: the Abruzzo team brings the team back to Serie A with goals from Ciro Immobile, again Insigne and the plays of Marco Verratti. In 2012 there is again the opportunity with Roma: the home defeat against Cagliari on the 23rd matchday leads to the exoneration of Zeman.

The rest - after the troubled year on the Rossoblù bench of Cagliari, chosen by the new president Tommaso Giulini - is Lugano (ninth place and salvation), Pescara again (relegation and, in B, exemption).

The return

On 26 June 2021 he was officially presented by Foggia. Three years of inactivity have not changed him in the slightest: 4-3-3, always trying to score one goal more than the opponent and patience if you suffer many, mocking smile, slow speech, always the same tone and the inevitable cigarette in the mouth . "I'm here to play proactive football," his words. And on Covid: «I have experienced football badly in this period. Without an audience it makes no sense ».

Training at 74? “I feel better than when I was young. I hope to prove it ». So I speak the Master. Ready to give much more to football. He who, to put it to Antonio Albanese (the actor invented the character Frengo, DJ and commentator in love with the Foggia coach, called “Simpatia Zeman” in the successful television series Never say goals), was not understood.

«The world», Frengo explained in a famous monologue, with the coach beside him, silent and intent on smoking, «does not understand that the classification is a profoundly wrong way of measuring the value of the teams. First, second, third, fourth but what does it mean? What matters are the feelings. You have always taught your players that stopping the opponent is unfair, so you destroy the game, it is an offense to the beauty of football. You always play with the same form: 6 forwards, 2 midfielders and in defense two assistants of the opposing attackers. And so they never understood you. You're too far ahead, you're ahead of Lou Reed. '

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