Cosmi's tale of the unexpected

By Paolo Menicucci

The forecasts were gloomy when Serse Cosmi was presented as AC Perugia coach in summer 2000. Plucked from Serie C by one of Italian football's least patient presidents, Luciano Gaucci, Cosmi's brief was to build a team of equally obscure journeymen players and Asian imports.

Steadying the ship
Slowly but surely, though, he has confounded the sceptics. In his first three seasons in charge, Perugia have finished eleventh, eighth and tenth in Serie A, taking the scalps of some of the country's top sides along the way. Cosmi's reputation now rides high, and this month the 45-year-old trainer turns his attention to leading Perugia into Europe for the first time in their history.

European goal
Perugia enter the UEFA Intertoto Cup at the third round stage on 19 July, against as yet unknown opponents, with their sights set on UEFA Cup qualification. "To reach the UEFA Cup is our main goal of the season," Cosmi told uefa.com.

Dream believer
"The dream of our president is to play in the UEFA Cup and we will do our best to win the Intertoto and make him happy. It is easier to reach the UEFA Cup by winning the Intertoto than by finishing fifth or sixth in the league. It is a great chance for us and we want to take it."

Footballing fairytale
If the front is all passionate posturing, beneath it lies a footballing fairytale. The baseball-capped Cosmi has risen from humble beginnings, having started out in 1990 as coach of village team Pontevecchio in the Prima Categoria, Italy's eighth division. Two promotions later, Pontevecchio were taking on the likes of Ternana Calcio and Arezzo AC, and it was here Cosmi caught the eye of Arezzo president and former Italian international Francesco Graziani.

On the up
Arezzo appointed him coach in 1995, and in five years he guided the club from the amateur Campionato Nazionale Dilettanti, or fifth division, to the brink of Serie B. Which is when Gaucci came calling, and the decision to bring Cosmi to the Renato Curi stadium has proved a masterstroke.

Cup run
"This season we have the same goals we always have," the coach said. "We want to avoid relegation as soon as possible so we can start thinking about a higher goal." Last season, that ambition was the Coppa Italia. Perugia were semi-finalists for the first time but lost out 2-1 on aggregate against AC Milan.

Summer departures
Cosmi even takes in his stride Perugia's annual summer sales. In recent years the club have let go the likes of Marco Materazzi and Fabio Liverani, and this close season has been no different with Fabrizio Miccoli, a striker who became an Italian international during his loan spell with Perugia, rejoining Juventus FC.

Buy and sell
"We have always managed to do well despite having to sell players," Cosmi said. "I am sure we can do it again this year. I am as enthusiastic as the day I came here." Perhaps Cosmi's greatest gift is an ability to keep on replacing his better players. It also does Perugia no harm when they can bring in an untried talent whom they will then sell on at a profit. One example is Hidetoshi Nakata whose transfer to AS Roma brought the club a €20m fee.

Unexpected arrival
This summer's new face is Saadi Gaddafi, a Libyan international midfield player and son of the Libyan leader, who announced his arrival with two goals in a pre-season friendly. "He is keen to learn," Cosmi reported. "He is working on his physical condition and I could not have asked for more from him so far." Whether Gaddafi junior becomes the latest tale of the unexpected to come out of Perugia remains to be seen. But in Cosmi's hands, he and his new club at least have a chance.