{{Short description|Italian football coach (born 1968)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Francesco Calzona | image = SVK vs. SMR 2024 Slovakia Coach Calzona.jpg | fullname = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1968|10|24|df=y}} | birth_place = Vibo Valentia, Italy | height = | position = Midfielder | currentclub = | years1 = 1986–1987 | clubs1 = Arezzo | caps1 = 3 | goals1 = 0 | manageryears1 = 2022–2026 | managerclubs1 = Slovakia | manageryears2 = 2024 | managerclubs2 = Napoli | caption = Calzona as manager of Slovakia in 2024 | upright = 0.8 }}
'''Francesco Calzona''' (born 24 October 1968) is a former Italian football player and coach. He was the head coach of the Slovakia national team until 2026.
== Playing career == Calzona had a very short career as a player, appearing three times with Arezzo in the Serie B division, and also making a single Coppa Italia appearance.<ref name="cds">{{cite web |url=https://www.corrieredellosport.it/news/calcio/serie-a/napoli/2022/07/09-94522121/lo_staff_tecnico_del_napoli_saluta_calzona_sara_il_ct_della_slovacchia_di_hamsik |publisher=Corriere dello Sport - Stadio |language=it |accessdate=30 August 2022 |date=9 July 2022 |title=Lo staff tecnico del Napoli saluta Calzona: sarà il ct della Slovacchia di Hamsik}}</ref>
== Coaching career == Calzona worked as an amateur coach and coffee dealer during the 1990s; during the course of the 1999–2000 season, while in charge of Tuscan amateurs Tegoleto, he opted to resign and instead suggest to hire up-and-coming amateur coach Maurizio Sarri as his replacement.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://calcio.fanpage.it/francesco-calzona-da-venditore-di-caffe-ad-allenatore-in-serie-a/ |language=it |title=Francesco Calzona, da venditore di caffè ad allenatore in Serie A |accessdate=30 August 2022 |date=28 September 2014 |publisher=Fanpage.it}}</ref> Since then, he became part of Sarri's coaching staff, being his main assistant in all of his managerial jobs until Napoli.<ref name="cds" />
In 2020, he joined Eusebio Di Francesco's coaching staff at Cagliari,<ref name="cds" /> then returning to Napoli the following year to work alongside new head coach Luciano Spalletti.<ref name="cds" />
===Slovak national team=== On 30 August 2022, Calzona was hired as the new head coach of the Slovakia national team. Following Pavel Hapal, Calzona became the second non-native coach of the team and the first of non-Czechoslovak origin.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sport.aktuality.sk/c/CnQcSKw/slovensko-reprezentacia-futbal-trener-francesco-calzona/ |title=Potvrdené! Slovenská reprezentácia má nového trénera |language=sk |accessdate=30 August 2022 |date=30 August 2022 |publisher=Aktuality.sk}}</ref>
On 16 November 2023, following a 4–2 win against Iceland, Calzona's Slovakia qualified for the UEFA Euro 2024.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/match/2036494--slovakia-vs-iceland/ |publisher=UEFA |date=16 November 2023 |access-date=16 November 2023 |title=Slovakia-Iceland {{!}} European Qualifiers 2024}}</ref>
On 27 April 2026, it was announced that his contract with the Slovakia Football Federation was not renewed and consequentially he left the role.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lehotský |first=Martin |date=April 27, 2026 |title=Italian Francesco Calzona relieved of duties as Slovakia head coach |url=https://www.flashscore.com/news/soccer-world-cup-slovakian-fa-announce-sacking-of-national-team-head-coach-francesco-calzona/KxVcIEhJ/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260429115351/https://www.flashscore.com/news/soccer-world-cup-slovakian-fa-announce-sacking-of-national-team-head-coach-francesco-calzona/KxVcIEhJ/ |archive-date=April 29, 2026 |access-date=April 29, 2026 |website=Flashscore}}</ref>
=== Napoli === On 19 February 2024, Napoli announced the appointment of Calzona as their new head coach for the remainder of the season, replacing Walter Mazzarri just two days before the 2023–24 UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg against Barcelona.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/Serie-A/Napoli/19-02-2024/napoli-calzona-ufficiale-al-posto-di-mazzarri.shtml |publisher=La Gazzetta dello Sport |language=it |date=19 February 2024 |accessdate=19 February 2024 |title=Napoli, ufficiale l'arrivo di Calzona: esordio da brividi col Barcellona}}</ref> In doing so, Calzona worked as both Slovakia manager and Napoli head coach for the remainder of the 2023–24 season, making him the first Serie A manager ever to also serve contemporaneously as a national team manager for a foreign country during his stay.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.goal.com/it/liste/calzona-primo-allenatore-ct-in-italia-doppio-incarico-napoli-slovacchia-cosa-dice-il-regolamento/blt433d21b2aa2474d9 |publisher=Goal.com |language=it |date=19 February 2024 |accessdate=19 February 2024 |title=Calzona primo allenatore-ct in Italia: il doppio incarico con Napoli e Slovacchia, cosa dice il regolamento}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mastroleo |first=Gabriele |date=2024-02-19 |title=Esonero Mazzarri: chi è Francesco Calzona, già allenatore in seconda del Napoli |url=https://www.spraynews.it/esonero-mazzarri-chi-e-francesco-calzona-gia-allenatore-in-seconda-del-napoli/ |access-date=2024-02-29 |website=Spraynews.it |language=it-IT}}</ref> This was Napoli's third manager of the season, after Mazzarri had previously replaced Rudi Garcia. He completed the season in a lacklustre fashion, ending in tenth place and missing out on European qualification, on the worst-ever Serie A performance for an incumbent national champion.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ilsussidiario.net/news/napoli-dallo-scudetto-al-record-negativo-peggior-campione-ditalia-della-storia-i-numeri-14-maggio-2024/2704023/ |publisher=Il Sussidiario |language=it |date=2024-05-15 |accessdate=2024-06-12 |title=Napoli, dallo Scudetto al record negativo/ Peggior campione d’Italia della storia: i numeri }}</ref>
== Managerial statistics == {{Updated|match played 31 March 2026}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center" |+ Managerial record by team and tenure |- !rowspan=2| Team !rowspan=2| From !rowspan=2| To !colspan=8| Record |- !{{Tooltip| G| Games managed}} !{{Tooltip| W| Wins}} !{{Tooltip| D| Draws}} !{{Tooltip| L| Losses}} !{{Tooltip| GF| Goals for}} !{{Tooltip| GA| Goals against}} !{{Tooltip| GD| Goal difference}} !{{Tooltip| Win %| Winning percentage}} |- | Slovakia | 30 August 2022 | 28 April 2026 {{WDL|40|19|8|13|for=56|against=44|diff=yes}} |- | Napoli | 19 February 2024 | 5 June 2024 {{WDL|16|3|9|4|for=24|against=24|diff=yes}} |- ! colspan=3| Career total {{WDLtot|56|22|17|17|for=80|against=68|diff=yes}} |}
== Sources == {{reflist}}
{{Current managers of UEFA national teams}} {{Slovakia squad UEFA Euro 2024}} {{Navboxes |title=Managerial positions |list1= {{Slovakia national football team managers}} {{SSC Napoli managers}} }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Calzona, Francesco}} Category:Living people Category:1968 births Category:Italian men's footballers Category:Men's association football midfielders Category:SS Arezzo players Category:Italian football managers Category:Slovakia national football team managers Category:People from Vibo Valentia Category:Footballers from Calabria Category:SSC Napoli managers Category:Serie A managers Category:UEFA Euro 2024 managers Category:20th-century Italian sportsmen