Domenico "Mimmo" Di Carlo (born 1 January 1964) is an Italian professional football manager and former player who played as a midfielder.
Playing Career
Di Carlo began his professional playing career in the lower divisions of Italian football, making his debut for Real Cercola in 1981. He spent the majority of his career as a central midfielder, known for his work rate and leadership.
His most notable playing spell was with Vicenza, where he played from 1987 to 1999, making over 250 appearances. With Vicenza, he experienced significant success, including winning the Coppa Italia in the 1996–97 season under coach Francesco Guidolin and reaching the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup the following year. Other clubs he represented during his playing career include Lecce, Treviso, Livorno, and Cremonese, before retiring as a player in 2000.
Managerial Career
Di Carlo transitioned into management shortly after retiring as a player.
- Early Career (2000–2007): He started his managerial journey with Vicenza's youth team in 2000. His first senior team appointment was in 2001 with Serie D club Pordenone. He subsequently managed other lower-league teams such as Arco, Valenzana, and Massa Lombarda. His first significant opportunity came in 2004 when he took over Mantova in Serie C1, guiding them to promotion to Serie B in his first season. He remained with Mantova until 2007, establishing them as a stable Serie B side.
- Serie A Debut with Parma (2007–2008): Di Carlo made his Serie A managerial debut in 2007, taking charge of Parma. Despite an initial positive impact, he was dismissed in March 2008 due to poor results.
- Chievo Verona (2008–2010; 2012–2013): He then moved to Chievo Verona in October 2008, inheriting a team struggling in Serie A. Di Carlo successfully guided them to safety, securing their top-flight status. He continued to manage Chievo until May 2010. He returned for a second stint with Chievo in November 2012 but was sacked in May 2013.
- Sampdoria and Other Serie A/B Clubs (2010–Present):
- In May 2010, he was appointed manager of Sampdoria, guiding them to a respectable finish in the first half of the season before being sacked in February 2011 after a poor run of form.
- He subsequently managed Livorno (Serie B, 2011–2012).
- After his second Chievo stint, he managed Cesena in Serie B (2014–2015), achieving promotion to Serie A, but was unable to prevent their immediate relegation and was dismissed.
- He continued to manage various Serie B clubs including Novara (2015–2016), Virtus Entella (2018–2019), and his former club Vicenza (2019–2022), where he guided them to promotion back to Serie B.
- More recently, he has managed Pordenone (2022–2023) and SPAL (2023–2024).
Di Carlo is known for his pragmatic and organized approach to management, often favoring a solid defensive structure and a strong work ethic from his players. He has a reputation for being able to motivate teams and has frequently been tasked with stabilizing clubs or leading them to promotion from Serie B.