New Roma coach brings impressive resume
Francesco Carriero has finally made it to Club Roma.
The native of Milan, Italy, who turns 40 next week, has been hired as head coach of the League2 women’s team (first team), bringing with him an extensive and impressive resume.
“It was something that was supposed to happen for the past couple of years,” Carriero said. “Unfortunately, due to one reason or another, it never materialized. I was somewhere else but things happened and I decided to leave and then I got in touch with Roma and some other League1 clubs and Roma responded and that was my first choice.”
Carriero said a meeting with Roma general manager of soccer operations Mark Bolton sealed the deal.
“Mark explained the vision, what they have for the club, what they’re looking to do, and I wanted to be part of that and to help rebuild it for the club,” he said. “The environment itself is also one of the reasons. It’s a welcoming environment. I don’t know how to explain it. You don’t get this from everywhere else.”
A dedicated A License candidate with Canada Soccer and UEFA (United European Football Association) and B candidate with the Football Association of Ireland, Carriero brings experience as assistant coach at the University of Toronto and former head coach for the League1 men’s reserve team at North Mississauga SC. He began his coaching career more than 15 years ago at Scarborough United and also won Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) bronze and silver medals at his alma mater, Centennial College, where he also won a bronze as a player. He has also coached with Inter Academy in Mississauga as well as at other levels in Pickering and Hamilton.
Carriero has definite ideas on how the game should be played, but is also open to suggestion.
“I like possession-based type soccer. However, I’m open to modify based on the type of personnel,” he said. “So I’m not one of those coached that it is fixed. I have an idea, however, you need to adapt given the ingredients, like a chef. If you’re going to make something that doesn’t use the right ingredients, you’re not going to make it. You’re going to make something else.”
He describes himself as firm but fair.
“I’m very open. I like to have a report and build a report with the players and getting to know them. I demand a lot but I also give a lot in return. There has to be some commitment from the players, some discipline and hard work.”
Carriero looks upon the upcoming season as a rebuild.
“I want to help build something, build a program, because it’s very, very hard unless you’re bringing players with you, which I don’t like to do,” he said. “I don’t like to poach players from other places. It’s hard to do right away, bring in something and then be successful. It takes time to build.
“The way I look at it, this year would be a foundation year and hopefully be able to get some good success out of it and then expand further to next season. So ideally, that’s the plan.”
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