| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1953-12-11)11 December 1953 (age 71) | ||
| Place of birth | Ponsacco, Italy | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Pontedera (head coach) | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1974–1975 | Verona | 2 | (0) |
| 1975–1976 | Novara | 29 | (0) |
| 1976–1978 | Roma | 52 | (0) |
| 1978–1981 | Catanzaro | 73 | (0) |
| 1982–1985 | Ascoli | ||
| 1985–1987 | Triestina | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| 2003 | Ancona | ||
| 2005 | Sassari Torres | ||
| 2005 | Tirana | ||
| 2008–2010 | Lumezzane | ||
| 2010 | Crotone | ||
| 2010–2012 | Crotone | ||
| 2012–2013 | Grosseto | ||
| 2014 | Pisa | ||
| 2014–2016 | Salernitana | ||
| 2016–2017 | Reggiana | ||
| 2018 | Lucchese | ||
| 2019 | Salernitana | ||
| 2021–2023 | Monterosi | ||
| 2024 | Turris | ||
| 2024– | Pontedera | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Leonardo Menichini (born 11 December 1953) is an Italianfootballmanager and former player. He is in charge ofSerie C Group B clubPontedera.
Adefender, Menichini played for several top-flight teams, includingAS Roma andCatanzaro, the latter under coachCarlo Mazzone.[1]
Following his retirement from playing football, Menichini became a coach, serving alongsideCarlo Mazzone from 1993 to 2003 with top-flight teams such asCagliari,AS Roma,Napoli,Bologna,Perugia andBrescia.[1] In 2003, he accepted an offer from newly promotedSerie A teamAncona to become thebiancorossi's boss; however, his first experience as head coach proved to be unsuccessful, since he was sacked after four weeks in charge of the team.[2][3][4]
In February 2005, Menichini returned into football, replacingSalvo D'Adderio at the helm ofSassari Torres, who were in danger of relegation in theSerie C1,[5] and then leading his side to maintain their own place in the third-highest Italian division.[6]
Menichini then moved to Albania as head coach ofKF Tirana in 2005–06; however, he was sacked in November 2005 due to disagreements with the board, leaving the club in second place.[7] He then returned to work alongside Mazzone from February to June 2006, during the latter's unsuccessful spell asLivorno head coach.[8]
In April 2008, Menichini was appointed as the new head coach ofSerie C2 promotion hopefulsLumezzane, replacingMario Petrone, who was sacked following a string of four consecutive defeats.[9] Under his tenure, Lumezzane qualified to the promotion playoffs and ultimately won them, thus ensuring a place in theLega Pro Prima Divisione 2008–09. He was subsequently confirmed at the helm of the club for the upcoming season.
In June 2010, he was appointed head coach of Calabrian sideCrotone for the club's2010–11 Serie B season.[10] He was dismissed on 27 November 2010 after a 2–1 home loss toVicenza, leaving Crotone in 11th place after 17 games.[11] He was reinstated as Crotone head coach on 20 February 2011, following a string of negative results that led to the dismissal ofEugenio Corini.[12] On 23 January 2012, he was finally sacked.[13]
From 18 December 2012 to 10 February 2013, he then served as head coach ofGrosseto inSerie B. In March 2014, he then served as the new manager ofLega Pro Prima Divisione clubPisa until the end of the season.
On 18 August 2014, he was named new head coach ofLega Pro clubSalernitana.[14]
On 30 September 2017, he was fired as the head coach ofSerie C clubReggiana.[15]
On 9 May 2019, he was appointed manager ofSalernitana,[16] completing the season by winning the relegation playoffs againstVenezia.
He successively became the Primavera Under-19 youth coach ofLazio, in charge until 2021.
On 10 November 2021, he returned to management as the new head coach of Serie C clubMonterosi, replacingDavid D'Antoni.[17] He left the club by the end of the 2022–23 season, after escaping relegation on both occasions.
On 23 January 2024, Menichini returned to management as the new head coach of Serie C clubTurris.[18] After departing from Turris by the end of the season, on 7 October 2024 Menichini returned to his native Tuscany, taking over at fellow Serie C clubPontedera.[19]