Azzurri United FC appoint Franco Zuccarato as MPL coach for 2024

A club hero and cult legend is back at the helm following a brief stint on the sidelines. Find out how Azzurri’s new head coach will lead his club to glory.

Following a brief retirement and a few seasons on the sidelines, Azzurri cult figure Franco Zuccarato decided enough was enough.

Witnessing his beloved club side underperforming wasn’t a sight Franco particularly enjoyed, and was the catalyst for his decision to come out of retirement.

With more than 20 years of experience under his belt and a desire to take his club back to the glory-days, Franco is back at the helm.

“I’m excited to be back,” he said.

“I spent a couple of years in the stands.

“I thought I was done, but I saw what state the side was in and knew that the club needed me.”

Referred to as ‘The King’ among some within the club, Franco is approaching his new appointment as a chance to re-establish dominance and competitiveness among the MPL side.

“I’ve been involved with the club in some way or another for about 17 years,” he said.

“So in that time I’ve seen and experienced first hand what does and does not contribute to a competitive and winning club.

“I’ve had my fair share of success as a coach whether it be junior of senior, and I know that if I can assemble a team that suits my style of play, we will be competing for premierships.”

A style of play that uses outside backs and wingers with overlapping runs and quick three touch play through the middle, Franco says that he’s already hit the ground running in terms of recruitment.

“I’ve got about six or seven guys that I want in the team,” he said.

“Most of them are players that I coached through the juniors and I know that they will slot in with how I want the team to be structured.

“They are all also very fast players, which is another attribute I look for in my teams.”

While Franco has his sights set on righting the ship, he knows trust and respect must be established above everything else.

“There’s no point of a player being in your team if he doesn’t respect you or his teammates,” he said.

“How can I trust him if he doesn’t trust me?

“I want all my players to give me their best and I congratulate them when they do so.

“But at the same time, if they make a mistake, I don’t yell at them from the sideline. I talk to them and explain what they did and how they can improve.

“No-one wins when you have a toxic environment, and all the best teams in the world usually have a very happy change room.”