Piero Braglia (born January 10, 1955 in Grosseto) is an Italian football manager and former player. He is the current manager of Taranto in the Italian Serie C1.

[edit] Career

[edit] Playing

A midfielder, Braglia started his professional career with Serie C team Montevarchi, then making his debut in the Serie A in 1976 with Fiorentina. He then spent six seasons with Catanzaro, five of them being in the Italian top flight. He then retired in 1987 after spells with Serie B teams Triestina and Catania.

[edit] Coaching

In 1989 Braglia accepted his first managerial job, at the helm of amateur Tuscan team Bibbienese. He then coached a number of Tuscan teams in the lower ranks of Italian football with some success, including a Serie C2 title with Montevarchi in 1995.

In 1999 he accepted his first coaching job outside of Tuscany, becoming head coach of Foggia in the Serie C2, obtaining a fourth place in the final table. He then returned to Tuscany, again to Montevarchi, before to join Chieti, which he led for two seasons in the Serie C1 league. In 2003–04 he returned to Catanzaro, this time as a head coach, and led the giallorossi to win the Serie C1 title and establish them back in Serie B after over a decade in the lower tiers. He was however sacked during the club's following Serie B campaign due to poor results. He then returned in Tuscany, joining Sangiovannese, a team he already twice in the Serie D during his early coaching years, and achieving an impressive third place in their Serie C1 campaign. In 2006 he accepted an offer from Pisa, with the aim to lead the nerazzurri back to Serie B; a third place in the regular season, followed by a successful campaign in the promotion playoffs, assured Pisa and Braglia a place in the second-highest Italian league for the next season. However, after discussions with the club management, Braglia opted to leave Pisa and accept an offer from Lucchese, another Tuscan Serie C1 team with aims of promotions. However, despite this, Lucchese ended only in eighth place and failed to qualify to the promotion playoffs.

On June 2008 Braglia was unveiled as head coach of Serie B team Frosinone, replacing Alberto Cavasin. On June 2009 Piero Braglia went to Taranto.

[edit] References