Frosinone coach Alvini turns full circle after promotion to Serie A

May 9 : Three years after being sacked without a win in Serie A, coach Massimiliano Alvini said his career had turned full circle as he fought back tears after leading Frosinone back to the Italian top flight with a second-place finish in Serie B.

Alvini's first head coaching role in the Italy's top tier ended when Cremonese, bottom of the table with no victories, fired him in January 2023.

Frosinone, who were relegated from Serie A in 2024, beat Mantova 5-0 on Friday to finish a point behind champions Venezia and secure automatic promotion.

"A chapter of my journey has come full circle, and another begins tomorrow in the top flight, where I want to make my mark, where we want to make our mark with determination," Alvini told reporters.

Alvini held back tears after his players interrupted the press conference to pour champagne over him as they danced around.

"I am happy, I am very happy. I am happy for all of you, for the city, too, and for the club. And so I feel a wonderful emotion deep inside," Alvini said.

The 56-year-old, who had a short playing career as a defender in amateur leagues, has coached over a dozen Italian clubs.

"Personally, I think it marks the end of a journey, 25 uninterrupted years as a coach, starting from the (amateur leagues)," Alvini said about his return to the Italian top flight.

"So right now there’s a feeling of great, great joy and satisfaction. I’ve been lucky enough to work at a great club."