Zdeněk Zeman (Czech pronunciation:[ˈzdɛɲɛkˈzɛman]; born 12 May 1947) is a Czech-Italianfootball manager.

Zdeněk Zeman

Zeman in 2006
Personal information
Date of birth	(1947-05-12)12 May 1947 (age 78)
Place of birth	Prague, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic)
Height	1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Managerial career
Years	Team
1974–1983	Palermo (youth)
1983–1986	Licata
1986–1987	Foggia
1987	Parma
1988–1989	Messina
1989–1994	Foggia
1994–1997	Lazio
1997–1999	Roma
1999–2000	Fenerbahçe
2000	Napoli
2001–2002	Salernitana
2003–2004	Avellino
2004–2005	Lecce
2006	Brescia
2006	Lecce
2008	Red Star Belgrade
2010–2011	Foggia
2011–2012	Pescara
2012–2013	Roma
2014	Cagliari
2015	Cagliari
2015–2016	Lugano
2017–2018	Pescara
2021–2022	Foggia
2023–2024	Pescara

Known for his exciting, offensive footballing tactics and use of the4–3–3 formation, Zeman has managed numerous teams over the years, mostly inItalian football. He has won theSerie B title twice, withFoggia and withPescara.

Zeman's football coaching career started in Sicily, where he resided since the late 1960s. His first coaching experiences were for amateur football teams from the outskirts of Palermo (Cinisi,Bacigalupo,Carini,Misilmeri,Esacalza). In 1974, thanks to his uncleČestmír Vycpálek's aid, he had his first notable experience as part of thePalermo Calcio youth coaching staff, which ended in 1983.

In 1975, he graduated with honours at theISEF of Palermo (a sports school) with a dissertation in sports medicine. In 1979, he finally obtained thepatentino (a license for coaching football at the professional level) at Coverciano's school for football coaches.^[1]

His first opportunity as a professional head coach came fromLicata, a small-medium city in theprovince of Agrigento, where he wonSerie C2 with a team mainly composed of youngsters. In 1986, he then left Licata to joinFoggia ofSerie C1, but he was sacked before the end of the championship. In 1987, he became coach forParma of Serie B but was fired after seven matches. In 1988, he returned toSicily as coach ofMessina, classified in 8th place for the end of the season, also thanks to the goals ofSalvatore Schillaci.^[2]

In 1989, the Foggia chairmanPasquale Casillo, repented of having fired him a few years before, signed on Zeman again. It was to be the beginning of themiracle Foggia, also known asZemanlandia (after Zeman himself), a team of, in those days, unknown players; amongst them,Giuseppe Signori andFrancesco Baiano who regularly punched above their weight in the league. In two years the team got promoted to top-levelSerie A.^[3]

The first appearances of Foggia in Serie A are still quite unimaginable, with a team considered extremely weak verging on theUEFA Cup qualification for three consecutive years. This was achieved by playing an impressive, attacking style of play, with the4–3–3 module a clear trademark of Zdeněk Zeman's football views. During those years at Foggia, players likeRoberto Rambaudi,Luigi Di Biagio,Igor Shalimov,José Antonio Chamot,Dan Petrescu andIgor Kolyvanov came through. It is said that Zeman's tactics were inspired by his time playing not football but handball as a student.^[4]

In 1994, Zeman left Foggia for the greater challenge ofLazio, bringing theBiancocelesti to 2nd and 3rd place before being fired in January 1997.^[5] He is credited with launching the career ofAlessandro Nesta whilst managingLazio, giving the young defender many first-team opportunities. In the next season, Zeman decided to stay in Rome, becoming the coach ofAS Roma and the burgeoning talent ofFrancesco Totti.

After a good fourth place with some sparkling play, Zeman launched allegations about the abuse of pharmaceutical products in Italian football, citing formerJuventus playersGianluca Vialli (at the time atChelsea) andAlessandro Del Piero (of usingcreatine) in July 1998. As a consequence, Courts began a round of trials until Juventus sports doctor Riccardo Agricola was found guilty of administering excessive pharmaceuticals to players between 1994 and 1998 and condemned to a 1-year and ten months jail term in 2004, even though he was absolved the next year by a Court of Appeal.^[6] In the following 1998–99 season Zeman reached a fifth-place finish with AS Roma but was replaced byFabio Capello during the summer of 1999.^[7]

His next coaching adventures, forFenerbahçe SK andSSC Napoli, were not lucky; Zeman's coaching reputation quickly lost stock, leaving him unable to find a team willing to hire him. After threeSerie B years atSalernitana (2 years, a 6th place, and a dismissal), andAvellino (second-last placed, with a youngVitali Kutuzov on team), in 2004Serie A teamLecce gambled on him. Zeman, who had one of the youngest Serie A rosters at his disposal, answered with a good season, leading the team to a mid-table position and giving talented youngsters likeValeri Bojinov andMirko Vučinić an opportunity. At the end of the season, Zeman resigned. After nine months without a team, Zeman was appointed on 5 March 2006 as the new coach ofBrescia, taking in his first time a team in the half-season. However, Brescia, who were in third place in Serie B when Zeman was hired, suffered a heavy fall in terms of results, and the team could not maintain a place in the promotion playoffs, with 8 points in 11 matches. After the end of the season, Zeman resigned from Brescia, criticizing his players for not having accepted his tactics.

On 21 June 2006, Zeman returned to Lecce, signing a one-year contract with thegiallorossi, who were relegated to Serie B in 2005–2006. Because of poor results, he was fired on 24 December and replaced byGiuseppe Papadopulo.

On 17 June 2008,Red Star Belgrade unveiled Zeman as their new head coach.^[8] However, after only five competitive games as Red Star's head coach, on 6 September 2008 Zeman was sacked because of catastrophic results inSerbian League andUEFA Cup. During Zeman's management, Red Star hadn't managed to score in three domestic league matches, and the club found themselves at the bottom of the table for the first time in 24 years. Red Star were also eliminated in the qualifying round of the UEFA Cup byAPOEL FC fromCyprus.^[9]

On 20 July 2010, it was confirmed that Zeman would take over as the new head coach of his former clubFoggia, rejoining chairmanPasquale Casillo and director of footballGiuseppe Pavone as part of the trio who led theSatanelli into Serie A back in the 1990s.^[10] He left the club at the end of May, after ending the regular season in sixth place, and failing to qualify for the promotion playoffs despite his Foggia team being the team with the highest goalscoring ratio among all Italian professional leagues.

On 21 June 2011 Zeman was announced as new head coach/technical director of Serie B clubPescara, signing a one-year contract with theAdriatici.^[11][12] At Pescara, Zeman coached a team composed of promising youngsters, many of them re-joining him from his previous season at the helm of Foggia (among them,Simone Romagnoli,Ciro Immobile andLorenzo Insigne, and alsoMarco Verratti); under his tenure, theBiancoazzurri fromAbruzzo entered straight into the race for automatic promotion and provided a record goalscoring ratio for Italian standard (90 goals in 42 games, Serie B record). On 21 May 2012, Pescara won automatic promotion to Serie A following a 3–1 away win atSampdoria, thus ensuring Zeman a top-flight return at his first season as head coach. He went on to win the Serie B title in the season's final game.^[13][14]

On 17 February 2013, Zeman was awarded thePanchina d'Argento to recognize his past season's successes as head coach of Pescara.

On 4 June 2012, it was confirmed that Zeman would be the new head coach of his former clubRoma, signing a two-year contract, effective from 1 July 2012 to 30 June 2014; his staff will be composed by assistant manager Vincenzo Cangelosi, technical collaboratorGiacomo Modica and fitness coach Roberto Ferola.^[15] The agreement will mark Zeman's return at theGiallorossi after thirteen years. His appointment also ledThe Wall Street Journal to unusually dedicate him an article, labelling him the "Soccer's Jedi."^[16]

His second stint as Roma head coach became controversial after he decided to sideline several key players such asMaarten Stekelenburg,Pablo Osvaldo and, most significantly, vice-captain andone-club playerDaniele De Rossi.^[17] A successive decline in results then led to rumours involving the future of Zeman, with director of footballWalter Sabatini explicitly confirming about a potential dismissal of the experienced Czech head coach at the end of January.

On 2 February 2013, Zeman was relieved from his coaching post after a 2–4 home loss toCagliari that left Roma in 8th position after 23 matches, and was replaced by the club's technique coachAurelio Andreazzoli.^[18][19] After being sacked, playerMiralem Pjanić commented that hiring Zeman had been a good decision, believing that the club's athletic all-attacking style of play the team's main strength, albeit also being one of its most significant weaknesses.^[20] Zeman initially stated that he was not bitter about being sacked by Roma^[21] and played down the rumours of his retirement,^[22] although he later said in an interview with Italian sports newspaperLa Gazzetta dello Sport that he was still critical towards the team over his sacking.^[17]

In June 2014, Zeman returned to football management, being appointed new head coach of Serie A clubCagliari after a successful takeover led by entrepreneurTommaso Giulini. On the fifth game of the season, Zeman got a surprising but deserved victory of 1–4 playing away against Internazionale, briefly staving off rumours of dismissal after a mediocre start of the season. However, he was sacked on 23 December 2014 following a poor run. Cagliari achieved only two wins in their sixteen league fixtures, leaving them eighteenth in the relegation zone.^[23]

On 9 March 2015, just a few months after initially being sacked, Cagliari reappointed Zeman as head coach, the club having sackedGianfranco Zola.^[24] Zeman resigned from the post after just five games, in which Cagliari picked up just one point from the available 15.^[25]

In June 2015, Zeman signed a contract with newly promotedSwiss Super League clubFC Lugano.^[26] On 26 May 2016, Zeman helped the club avoid relegation with a 3–0 win overFC St. Gallen. On 29 May, however, Lugano were defeated 1–0 by last placedFC Zürich in the2016 Swiss Cup Final.^[27] He left the club at the end of the season.^[28]

On 17 February 2017, Zeman was confirmed as the new head coach of last-placedSerie A team Pescara in place ofMassimo Oddo, thus returning to coach the club he guided to the top flight back in 2012.^[29] On 19 February, his debut return on the Pescara bench, Pescara won a 5–0 against Genoa, their first home victory since June 2016.^[30] Zeman was fired from Pescara on 4 March 2018 after a 2–0 loss to Serie B sideAS Cittadella and were left in 13th place in the table.^[31]

On 27 June 2021, after days of speculation,^[32]Foggia announced to have re-hired 74-year old Zeman, after three years of inactivity, on a one-year deal for the2021–22 Serie C campaign.^[33] He teamed up again withGiuseppe Pavone in his new stint with theSatanelli.

On 25 January 2022, Zeman and Pavone extended their contracts for one more year.^[34] He eventually guided Foggia to a spot in the promotion playoffs, in which they eliminatedTurris andAvellino before being eliminated byVirtus Entella in the third round. On 26 May 2022, Foggia announced to have parted ways with Zeman after only one season.^[35]

On 27 February 2023, 75-year-old Zeman agreed to return to Pescara for a third time, taking charge of the Serie C club until the end of the season.^[36] After guiding Pescara to the promotion playoffs, where they were eliminated byFoggia on penalties in the semifinals, he was confirmed in charge of theDelfino for the 2023–24 campaign as well.^[37]

On 12 December 2023, Zeman was admitted to a private clinic in Pescara after having suffered atransient ischemic attack before a scheduled training session.^[38] He was released from the clinic three days later, being however forced to temporarily hand over coaching duties to his assistantGiovanni Bucaro.^[39] On 19 December, Zeman regularly returned to his coaching duties.^[40] On 17 February 2024, Zeman was again forced to hand over coaching duties to his assistant after being admitted to a hospital to undergo a surgery.^[41] On 19 February 2024, it was confirmed Zeman had successfully undergone heart surgery.^[42] Three days later, Zeman tended his resignations to the Pescara board, with his assistant Bucaro being appointed as the new permanent head coach until the end of the season.^[43]

Son of amedician and a housewife, Zeman is also related toČestmír Vycpálek, formerJuventus player and coach, who was his uncle from his mother's side. In 1968, Zeman went toPalermo to visit him; however, at that same time, his country wasinvaded by Warsaw Pact troops, so he decided to stay indefinitely in Italy.^[1]

He successively obtained Italian citizenship in 1975 and later married a woman from Palermo, Chiara Perricone, with whom he had two children namedKarel and Andrea; Karel successively went on into following his father's footsteps by becoming a football manager, starting at amateur level with teams such as Bojano andManfredonia^[44] before taking over his first professional role atLega Pro Seconda Divisione outfitFano in March 2012.^[45] He then served as head coach ofQormi in Malta before becoming boss of SardinianSerie D amateursSelargius in the summer of 2014, contemporaneously with his father's appointment at Cagliari.^[46]

His appeal has stretched outside the football world, with singer/songwriter (and well-known AS Roma fan)Antonello Venditti, dedicating a song calledLa coscienza di Zeman (Zeman's conscience, a play-on-words on the famous Italian novelLa coscienza di Zeno) to him. Zeman was also the "guru" who inspired the character Frengo by Italian comedianAntonio Albanese. He was also the subject of several biopics, mostly covering his early Foggia years, such asZemanlandia.^[47] Zeman is also known for being a heavy smoker and an iconic man of very few words with a cult following throughout Italy that goes across all football rivalries.^[48][49]

In 2022, Zeman published his autobiography, titledLa bellezza non ha prezzo (English:Beauty has no price), written together withLa Gazzetta dello Sport journalist Andrea Di Caro.^[50]

On 18 October 2024, it was reported Zeman was admitted to a private health clinic in Pescara after having suffered abrain ischemia in his residency in Rome, just a few months after having suffered a transient ischemic attack that had forced him to quit his football activities.^[51]

Based onDutchTotaal Voetbal, Zdeněk Zeman has described the concept of his4–3–3 system as "geometry", and his teams also known for approaching a football philosophy clearly based on lively, quick, attacking play, theoffside trap, and zonal marking. His teams are well known for their fast, spectacular, aggressive, and offensive style of play, as well as their ability to score many goals, but also for the corresponding tendency to concede them.^{[52][53][54][55][56]} His tactics were also influenced by his time playing handball in his youth.^[4]

A respected and experienced manager, his coaching techniques, especially regarding athletic preparation, fitness, and training (a field in which he has a particular interest), are also proverbial for their effort and diligence. Notable features of his system are the use of a high defensive line, the offside trap, high pressing, zonal marking, short first-touch passes, and one-twos played on the ground. However, the deep-lying playmaker in his formation must also be competent at providing long passes and switching the play. The wingers in his system are set to move inside the channels, and usually play a free creative role. All of these elements combined made Zeman's tactics solid, spectacular and highly versatile: they are effective against top teams as well as weaker ones.^[52][53][54] Despite his reputation, he has also been criticised by other figures in the sport for his outspokenness and lack of major title victories throughout his career.^{[57][58][59][60]}

Having the right players for his tactical system is essential; usually the characteristics needed by his players are:^[52][61][62]

• Sweeper Keeper: In addition to being a good shot-stopper, the goalkeeper must be capable of reading the game and quick to come off his goal-line to anticipate opponents outside the area who have beaten the offside trap; he must also have good ball control, dribbling ability and distribution with his hands and feet.
• Wing Backs: They must be offensive wingbacks, not merely defensive-minded fullbacks. The use of quick, hard-working attacking wing backs is one of the most critical aspects of Zeman's tactics and formation, as they often overlap with the wingers to providecrosses into the box, while also returning to defend.
• Centre Backs: Complete and strong, with good heading ability, marking, tackling, jumping, pace, positioning and acceleration, as well as good technique and ball playing ability. One of the two central defenders must also be able to drop further back from the defensive line whenever the offside trap is not possible, in the similar manner of alibero orsweeper.
• Central Midfielders: The central midfield pivot in Zeman's three-man midfield system is a complete and versatile player who is a hybrid of adefensive midfielder, abox-to-box midfielder, and adeep-lying playmaker. The centre-midfielder, therefore, must be effective defensively. Still, he must be equally capable of creating attacking plays after winning back possession and making offensive runs into the area off the ball. He must be a quick, hard-working, physically fit, strong player, creative on the ball, and an excellent long passer and tackler. This role has also been likened to that of ametodista ("centre-half," in Italian football jargon) due to the necessity for the player to dictate play in midfield, launch quick attacks, or assist their team defensively, as well as to maintain their position and thus allowing Zeman's teams to maintain a high defensive line with little space between the attack and the defence. The left and right centre midfielders must also be hard-working and well-rounded box-to-box players with good technique, offensive capabilities, and passing ability.
• Outside Forwards/Wingers: Zeman's formation makes fundamental use of hard-working wingers with pace, stamina, creative abilities, and good technique anddribbling skills. Instead of hugging the touchline like traditional wingers, in his system, they are set to move into channels often functioning asinverted wingers or outside forwards. Although they are given more tactical freedom than most players in his formation, they must also be capable of scoring and making the right attacking movements. Off the ball, the wingers are tasked with defensive duties such as pressing opposing defenders and committing tactical fouls to anticipate and take time away from them on the ball; offensively, they are also required to switch positions with their runs off the ball to create gaps for teammates to exploit in the opposing defence.
• Central Forward: The leadingstriker must be a complete, hard-working, mobile, and intelligent team player, who is quick, strong, and an accurate finisher with both feet and head. The centre-forward must also have solid technique and an excellent positional sense, as well as good movement and the ability to hold up the ball for teammates when playing with his back to goal to lay off the ball to other players making attacking runs.

As of 22 February 2024^{[citation needed]}

Licata^[2]

• Serie C2 (1): 1984–85

Foggia^[3]

• Serie B (1):1990–91

Pescara^[14]

• Serie B (1):2011–12

Manager

• Silver Bench (1): 2011–12^[63]

• Official Zdeněk Zeman's website(in Italian)