Roberto D’Aversa expected to be appointed as Venezia coach

After securing promotion to Serie A, Venezia are planning for the upcoming season and looking to Roberto D’Aversa. Although Frosinone coach Eusebio Di Francesco was contacted, Roberto D’Aversa is currently the frontrunner for the head coach position, favoured over Marco Zaffaroni and Vincenzo Vivarini.

D’Aversa was dismissed from Lecce last March following an incident in which he headbutted Verona player Thomas Henry at the end of the Lecce-Verona match. Lecce swiftly distanced itself from the act with an official statement:

“U.S. Lecce, regarding the incident involving coach D’Aversa and Verona player Henry, condemns the coach’s action as it is contrary to the principles and values of sport, despite the general tension at the end of the match.”

Sky Sport Italia report that despite achieving mathematical safety from relegation, D’Aversa issued a letter to Lecce fans expressing his joy for the team’s success and apologizing once more for his actions:

“I am extremely happy about Lecce’s extraordinary and deserved safety. I hold all you Giallorossi fans close to my heart, and this is why I waited for the right moment to say THANK YOU, on behalf of my family and myself.”

“The occasion is right to apologize once again for my action at the end of the match against Verona: I made a mistake and paid for it, a bad example that remains isolated in my history as a man and professional.”