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Francesco Baiano
Personal information
Date of birth	24 February 1968 (age 56)
Place of birth	Naples, Italy
Height	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s)	Striker
Youth career
	Napoli
Senior career*
Years	Team
1984–1990	Napoli
1986–1987	→ Empoli
1987–1988	→ Parma
1988–1989	→ Empoli
1989–1990	→ Avellino
1990–1992	Foggia
1992–1997	Fiorentina
1997–1999	Derby County
2000	Ternana
2000–2002	Pistoiese
2002–2008	Sangiovannese
2008–2009	Sansovino
Total
International career
1991	Italy
Managerial career
2007–2008	Sangiovannese (technique coach)
2008–2009	Sansovino (player-manager)
2010–2011	Varese (assistant)
2011–2012	Siena (assistant)
2012	Palermo (assistant)
2013	Palermo (assistant)
2013	ChievoVerona (assistant)
2014–2015	Scandicci
2016–2017	Varese
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Francesco Baiano (Italian pronunciation: [franˈtʃesko baˈjaːno]; born 24 February 1968) is an Italian football coach and former player who was last in charge at Varese. He played as a striker for several Italian clubs throughout his playing career, and he also played for Derby County in the Premier League, between 1997 and 1999.

Club career

Baiano was born in Naples. During his career, he played for several clubs. He first made his name with Foggia under Zdeněk Zeman, earning promotion to Serie A after winning the 1990–91 Serie B title, also winning the top-scorer award, with 22 goals, and forming a notable attacking trio alongside Giuseppe Signori and Roberto Rambaudi. He also played for Fiorentina, where he was a part of the so-called Ba-Ba strikers duo together with Gabriel Batistuta (he scored 29 goals in 118 games for Fiorentina), winning the 1995–96 Coppa Italia and the 1996 Supercoppa Italiana.^[6] During the 1992–93 Serie A season, he was the joint top assist provider in the league, with 12 assists, alongside Gianfranco Zola.^[7]

Baiano later joined Derby County in 1997, along with compatriot Stefano Eranio; together, they were among the first group of Italian footballers to play in the Premier League. He hit 16 goals in 64 games in a resurgent Derby team and was named as one of their best ever imports by the fans.^[8]^[9]

Baiano went on to play for Sangiovannese of Serie C1, a team he joined in 2002 to leave only in 2008 after a string of successful seasons with the small Tuscan side.

International career

Baiano won two international caps for Italy, both in late 1991, under Arrigo Sacchi, although he failed to score a goal at international level. He made his debut on 13 November 1991 in Genoa, in a 1–1 draw against Norway.^[10]

Style of play

A well-known, diminutive forward famous for his shooting technique and eye for goal, Baiano was also a quick, energetic, and dynamic player, with good technical ability and close control in tight spaces. Due to his pace, mobility, and agility, he was also often used as an outside forward; during his later career, he often played in a more creative role, as a supporting striker, or as an attacking midfielder, due to his creativity, as well as his ability to play off of teammates and provide them with assists.^[11]

Coaching career

In 2008, Baiano was appointed player/manager of Serie D club Sansovino with little success, leaving the club at the end of the season. In 2010, he re-joined his former boss Giuseppe Sannino, becoming his main assistant at Serie B club Varese. In 2011, he followed Sannino at Serie A club Siena, and then at Palermo in 2012. He was removed as Palermo assistant together with head coach Sannino on 16 September 2012.^[12]

Honours

Fiorentina

Foggia

Serie B: 1990–91

Individual

Serie B top scorer: 1990–91 (22 goals)^[13]
Serie A top assist provider: 1992–93^[7]
Derby County F.C. Player of the Year: 1998^[14]

References

^ Che fine hanno fatto? Baiano sogna una panchina Archived 1 October 2019 at the Wayback Machine‚ sport.sky.it, 29 March 2011
^ Con Sannino arrivano anche Baiano, Bertini e Lomi SIENA CLUB‚ sienaclubfedelissimi.it, 8 June 2011
^ Nello staff di Sannino l'ex Verona Luca Lomi‚ tggialloblu.it, 13 July 2013
^ L'ex Francesco Baiano si dimette da allenatore dello Scandicci‚ pianetaempoli.it, 20 October 2014
^ Esonerato Baiano, torna Bettinelli‚ laprovinciadivarese.it, 13 March 2017
^ Licia Granello (24 December 1992). "IL MILAN NON SI VEDE PIU'". ricerca.repubblica.it (in Italian). La Repubblica. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
^ ^a ^b Maurizio Mariani; Misha Miladinovich (31 October 2000). "Italy Championship 1992/93". RSSSF. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
^ "Che fine hanno fatto? Baiano, da Zeman a Sannino". sport.sky.it (in Italian). Sky. 29 March 2011. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
^ "Francesco Baiano". tuttocalciatori.net (in Italian). Retrieved 15 April 2015.
^ "Nazionale in cifre: Francesco Baiano". figc.it (in Italian). FIGC. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
^ Marcello Massa (18 September 2012). "Baiano dice la sua su Insigne". canalenapoli.it (in Italian). Archived from the original on 15 April 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
^ "ESONERATO SANNINO, SQUADRA A GASPERINI" [SANNINO SACKED, TEAM GOES TO GASPERINI] (in Italian). US Città di Palermo. 16 September 2012. Archived from the original on 19 October 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
^ Igor Kramarsic; Roberto Di Maggio; Alberto Novello (5 June 2014). "Italy - Serie B Top Scorers". RSSSF. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
^ "Derby County FC Player of the Year 1969–2014". myfootballfacts.com. Archived from the original on 19 January 2012. Retrieved 15 April 2015.