Paolo Zanetti officially begins his journey with Juventus

Udinese has officially appointed Paolo Zanetti as head coach of the first team; he has signed a contract that will keep him with the club through June 30, 2027, thus replacing Kosta Runjaic, who was fired following Saturday’s 5-2 loss to Roma at the Bluenergy Stadium, continuing a losing streak that has seen the Friuli-based team earn just one point in their last eight matches.

Born in Valdagno, in the province of Vicenza, on December 16, 1982, Zanetti enjoyed a distinguished playing career, representing Torino and Atalanta, among others, and earning five caps with the Under-21 national team. After retiring from competitive play, he immediately began his coaching career with Reggiana’s Berretti team at the age of 33.

His professional coaching career began in the 2017–2018 season with Südtirol. After two years in Bolzano, he moved to Ascoli in Serie B. His breakthrough came in the 2020–2021 season, when he led Venezia to promotion to Serie A, bringing the team back to the top flight after a 19-year absence. He subsequently coached Venezia in Serie A, then Empoli (securing a comfortable survival in 2022–2023), and finally Verona, which he guided to a 14th-place finish in 2024–2025 and the following season, until February 2026.

Now a new challenge awaits the coach, as he begins a new chapter in his career with the Bianconeri. The schedule calls for Zanetti’s first training session to take place on Tuesday afternoon, while the introductory press conference is set for Wednesday at 3:00 p.m.