.jpg) Di Francesco managingAS Roma in 2018 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Eusebio Di Francesco[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1969-09-08)8 September 1969 (age 56) | ||
| Place of birth | Pescara, Italy | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Lecce (head coach) | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1987–1991 | Empoli | 102 | (3) |
| 1991–1995 | Lucchese | 139 | (12) |
| 1995–1997 | Piacenza | 67 | (5) |
| 1997–2001 | Roma | 101 | (14) |
| 2001–2003 | Piacenza | 61 | (12) |
| 2003–2004 | Ancona | 10 | (0) |
| 2004–2005 | Perugia | 30 | (1) |
| Total | 510 | (47) | |
| International career | |||
| 1998–2000 | Italy | 12 | (1) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2008–2009 | Virtus Lanciano | ||
| 2010–2011 | Pescara | ||
| 2011 | Lecce | ||
| 2012–2014 | Sassuolo | ||
| 2014–2017 | Sassuolo | ||
| 2017–2019 | Roma | ||
| 2019 | Sampdoria | ||
| 2020–2021 | Cagliari | ||
| 2021 | Hellas Verona | ||
| 2023–2024 | Frosinone | ||
| 2024–2025 | Venezia | ||
| 2025– | Lecce | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Eusebio Di Francesco (Italian pronunciation:[euˈzɛːbjodifranˈtʃesko]; born 8 September 1969) is an Italianmanager and former professionalfootballer who played as amidfielder. He is the head coach ofSerie A clubLecce.
Di Francesco started his career withTuscan teamsEmpoli andLucchese. In 1995, he joinedPiacenza, where he had the opportunity to play regularly in thetop flight. In 1997, he was signed byRoma, winning an Italian championship title in2001 with thegiallorossi.[2] Following this triumph, he agreed to return to Piacenza, for 2 billion lire[3] (€1.03 million by fixed exchange rate) and then retired in 2005 following stints withAncona andPerugia.[4][5]
During his time with Roma, Di Francesco also made 12 appearances for theItaly national team between 1998 and 2000, and was called up for a total of 16 times.[6] He received his first call-up while with Piacenza, under managerCesare Maldini, when he was named in Italy's squad for1997 Tournoi de France,[7][8] although he later turned down the offer in order to help Piacenza defeatCagliari 3–1relegation play-off in order to remain in Serie A.[9][10] He made his international debut on 5 September 1998, underDino Zoff, in a 2–0 victory overWales in aUEFA Euro 2000 qualifying match.[11][12] In addition to his 12 official appearances with Italy, Di Francesco also made an additional appearance for the Italy national team in an unofficial friendly match against theFIFA World Stars on 16 December 1998, held to celebrate the 100th anniversary of theItalian Football Federation; he scored his only international goal during the match, which ended in a 6–2 victory to the Italians.[13]
Di Francesco was a hard-working and consistentmidfielder who, despite not being the most technically gifted footballer, possessed a solid first touch and an ability to make attacking runs into the area. Capable of playing both incentre or on the wing, he was known in particular for his leadership, versatility, and exceptional stamina, as well as his tireless runs up and down theflank.[4][5]
After he retired from football, Di Francesco served as team manager for his former clubRoma. He then served as the sporting director (in charge of transfers) forSerie C2 clubVal di Sangro in 2007.[14] In 2008, he was appointed as head coach ofLega Pro Prima Divisione clubVirtus Lanciano, being later sacked in January 2009 due to poor results.[15]
He then served as head coach ofPescara in the2010–11 Serie B, guiding his team to an impressive season, also thanks to glimpses of attractive football. In June 2011, it was revealed Di Francesco had left Pescara by mutual consent to hold talks withSerie A clubLecce regarding the vacant head coaching post at the club fromSalento.[16] He was removed from his coaching duties on 4 December 2011, after achieving only eight points in thirteen games, and leaving his side at the bottom of the league table.[17]
On 19 June 2012, Di Francesco was appointed the head coach ofSerie B sideSassuolo. At the end of2012–13 season, he guided Sassuolo to the Serie B championship and promotion to the top-flight campaign. He was sacked on 28 January 2014 after a poor run of results,[18] only to be re-appointed to the post on 3 March 2014[19] after results did not improve in his absence. From March 2014 onwards, results improved, and Di Francesco successfully coached to save Sassuolo from relegation thanks to a run of positive results (13 points in the season's final seven games). In June 2014, it was announced Di Francesco had signed an extension that will keep him contracted with Sassuolo until June 2016.[20] He extended his contract again in April 2016, which would last until June 2019.[21] Sassuolo finished the2015–16 Serie A season in sixth place, sealing a spot in thethird qualifying round of the 2016–17 UEFA Europa League.[22] The following season, Sassuolo managed to advance to theEuropa League play-offs under Di Francesco, and eventually sealed a spot in theEuropa League group stage.[23]
On 13 June 2017, Di Francesco was appointed asRoma head coach, replacingLuciano Spalletti, who had left forInternazionale.[24] In his first season, he finished third, qualifying for the2018–19 UEFA Champions League. In the2017–18 UEFA Champions League, Roma qualified for the knockout round after topping a group includingChelsea andAtlético Madrid. In the quarter-finals, Roma were able to overturn a 4–1 first-leg deficit to defeatBarcelona and progress to the next round. They were eventually defeated byLiverpool in the semi-finals (7–6 on aggregate).
On 30 January 2019, Roma were knocked out of2018–19 Coppa Italia, after being beaten 7–1 byFiorentina. On 7 March 2019, Di Francesco was sacked by Roma following a Champions League exit in the round of 16 against Porto.[25] At the time of his sacking, Roma were fifth in Serie A. Jim Pallotta, club's president, posted to Roma's official website:
On behalf of myself and everyone at AS Roma, I'd like to thank Eusebio for his work and his commitment.Since returning to the club, Eusebio has always acted professionally and put the club’s needs ahead of his own. We all wish him well for the future.
— Jim Pallotta to AS Roma's official website
On 22 June 2019, he was appointed new head coach ofSerie A clubSampdoria.[26] On 7 October 2019, with Sampdoria in last place in Serie A table and with six losses in seven league games, he left the club by mutual consent.[27]
Di Francesco was appointed manager of another Serie A club,Cagliari, on 3 August 2020.[28] Di Francesco was sacked on 22 February 2021.[29]
On 7 June 2021, he was unveiled as the newHellas Verona head coach, signing a two-year contract, until 30 June 2023, starting with the2021–22 Serie A season.[30] but following three defeats in the first three league games, he was sacked on 14 September 2021.[31]
On 1 July 2023, Di Francesco was named the new head coach of newly promoted Serie A clubFrosinone, replacing outgoing managerFabio Grosso.[32] Despite an impressive start of the season, Frosinone were eventually relegated on the final matchday of the season, leading Di Francesco to depart from the club with immediate effect.[33]
On 26 June 2024, Di Francesco was hired as the new head coach of newly promoted Serie A clubVenezia on a two-year deal.[34] However, Venezia finished in the relegation zone during the2024–25 season and were relegated to Serie B.[35]
On 26 June 2025, Di Francesco was reappointed as the head coach of Lecce for the 2025–26 season.[36][37]
Eusebio Di Francesco has a son,Federico (born in 1994), who followed his father's footsteps by becoming a footballer too. He plays as awinger and made his Serie A debut in March 2013 at the age of 18.[38] Eusebio Di Francesco was named after the Portuguese Football legendEusébio.[39]
| Team | Nat. | From | To | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | ||||
| Virtus Lanciano |  | 23 June 2008 | 27 January 2009 | 24 | 7 | 6 | 11 | 28 | 34 | −6 | 029.17 |
| Pescara | | 12 January 2010 | 22 June 2011 | 62 | 24 | 17 | 21 | 68 | 63 | +5 | 038.71 |
| Lecce | | 24 June 2011 | 4 December 2011 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 11 | 25 | −14 | 014.29 |
| Sassuolo | | 19 June 2012 | 28 January 2014 | 67 | 31 | 15 | 21 | 104 | 90 | +14 | 046.27 |
| Sassuolo | | 3 March 2014 | 13 June 2017 | 142 | 52 | 39 | 51 | 200 | 196 | +4 | 036.62 |
| Roma | | 13 June 2017 | 7 March 2019 | 87 | 46 | 18 | 23 | 151 | 104 | +47 | 052.87 |
| Sampdoria | | 22 June 2019 | 8 October 2019 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 17 | −10 | 025.00 |
| Cagliari | | 3 August 2020 | 22 February 2021 | 26 | 5 | 6 | 15 | 28 | 45 | −17 | 019.23 |
| Hellas Verona | | 7 June 2021 | 14 September 2021 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 7 | −1 | 025.00 |
| Frosinone | | 1 July 2023 | 16 June 2024 | 42 | 11 | 11 | 20 | 50 | 73 | −23 | 026.19 |
| Venezia | | 26 June 2024 | 26 June 2025 | 39 | 5 | 14 | 20 | 31 | 57 | −26 | 012.82 |
| Lecce | | 26 June 2025 | Present | 14 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 19 | −9 | 021.43 |
| Total | 529 | 189 | 132 | 208 | 696 | 732 | −36 | 035.73 | |||
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