Michele Mignani takes over as head coach of Catanzaro under extraordinary circumstances, inheriting the bottom-placed Serie B side immediately before a fixture against Benevento and his own eldest son, Guglielmo Mignani, gazzetta.it reported.

Catanzaro Appoints Mignani on a Deal Through 2028

US Catanzaro 1929 announced the appointment of Michele Mignani on a contract running through June 30, 2028, Sportmediaset reported. The 54-year-old manager takes over from Giorgio Gorgone, whom the club dismissed following a 6-1 home defeat against Ascoli in the eighth round of the Serie B season. That heavy loss left the Calabrian club sitting at the bottom of the standings with just four points, marking the worst start to a season in the club’s history, according to RaiNews. The club stated: gives a welcome to coach Mignani and his staff, wishing them good work at the helm of the Aquile, as noted by Sportmediaset. Previously, Mignani had been contacted by Catanzaro two weeks prior in case the situation worsened, and he had already managed Bari alongside sporting director Ciro Polito between 2021 and 2023, achieving promotion from Serie C and missing out on Serie A in the final minute of the return playoff leg against Cagliari, before a brief spell in Palermo and nearly two seasons managing Cesena, where he reached the playoffs as a rookie only to be eliminated by Catanzaro in the first round and later dismissed to make room for Ashley Cole, as gazzetta.it detailed.

Staff Changes and Familiar Faces in Calabria

Alongside Mignani’s arrival, Catanzaro confirmed the dismissal of Gorgone’s entire coaching staff, which included Emiliano Testini, Patrizio Ianni, Giorgio Santarelli, and Simone Angeli, RaiNews reported. Mignani installed Simone Vergassola as his assistant coach, alongside technical collaborators Emanuele Insalata and Davide Campofranco, Sportmediaset noted. In addition, athletic trainer Giorgio D’Urbano left Cesena to reunite with Mignani in Catanzaro, after the manager requested his inclusion through sporting director Ciro Polito, Corriere Romagna reported. D’Urbano, the former trainer of Alberto Tomba, accepted the call immediately and is set to reach Calabria on Wednesday, leaving Cesena with the task of swiftly finding a replacement to insert into the staff of Diamanti, while the Cavalluccio will officially part ways with him following the midweek fixture, Corriere Romagna added.

A Father-Son Clash on Tuesday Night

Mignani joined his new squad in their Benevento training camp with only a single training session—Monday afternoon’s tactical walk-through—before his debut on Tuesday at 19:00 local time, gazzetta.it reported. The fixture carries a unique family dynamic, as Benevento’s squad features 24-year-old forward Guglielmo Mignani, born in 2002 and recognized as the eldest son of the newly appointed Catanzaro coach, gazzetta.it noted. Guglielmo scored his first Serie B goal last weekend following a ten-goal campaign that helped the Campanian club earn promotion, setting up a direct on-field encounter where father and son stand on opposing sides, gazzetta.it added.