Michele Santoni
.jpg) Santoni in 2023 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 18 May 1980 | ||
| Place of birth | Arco, Italy | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Pro Vercelli (head coach) | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| Years | Team | ||
| 2018–2019 | Almere City | ||
| 2021–2024 | FC Dordrecht | ||
| 2024 | Triestina | ||
| 2025– | Pro Vercelli | ||
Michele Santoni (born 18 May 1980) is professional football manager who is the head coach of Serie C Group A club Pro Vercelli.
Coaching career
Santoni began his coaching career in 2008 as a youth coach at HFC Haarlem, then competing in the Dutch second tier.[1] Reflecting on his early work in the Netherlands, Santoni later described Dutch football as being characterised by a strong emphasis on structure and organisation, remarking that it was "structure, structure, structure, structure".[1]
In 2009, he joined Ajax as a video analyst, working within the club's first-team environment.
In 2014, Santoni moved to Italy, where he was appointed assistant coach at Livorno in Serie A. Discussing differences he observed after the move, Santoni contrasted the Dutch approach with what he perceived as a greater reliance on intuition in Italy, stating that "there is much more improvisation; it goes by feel".[1] He subsequently worked in the youth academy of Lazio before being appointed video analyst at Inter.[1]
Managerial career
In 2018, Santoni was appointed head coach of Almere City, succeeding Jack de Gier.[2] The team made a strong start to the season and spent a period at the top of the Eerste Divisie. However, results deteriorated approaching the winter break, and on 2 March 2019 Santoni was dismissed with the club in tenth place.[3][4]
On 13 May 2020, Santoni was appointed assistant coach at ADO Den Haag, effective from the 2020–21 season.[5] In early November 2020, he and fellow assistant coach Rick Hoogendorp were removed from the first-team technical staff by the club's management. Head coach Aleksandar Ranković was dismissed shortly thereafter, on 7 November. Santoni remained at the club for the remainder of the season, working within ADO's youth academy.[6]
In 2021, he was appointed manager of FC Dordrecht in the Netherlands.[7] After three years in the Dutch second division, Santoni departed in May 2024 to become the new head coach of Italian Serie C club Triestina on a two-year contract.[8] After a negative start of the season with five defeats in the first six league games, however, Santoni was dismissed on 27 September 2024.[9]
On 11 June 2025, Santoni was unveiled as the new head coach of Serie C club Pro Vercelli.[10]
Personal life
Born in Arco, Trentino, Santoni is the son of an Italian father and a Dutch mother and is fluent in Italian, Dutch and English.[11]
Managerial statistics
- As of match played 10 December 2025
| Team | From | To | Record | Ref. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | ||||
| Almere City | 1 July 2018 | 5 March 2019 | 29 | 13 | 4 | 12 | 42 | 48 | −6 | 44.83 | [12] |
| FC Dordrecht | 1 July 2021 | 30 June 2024 | 119 | 37 | 33 | 49 | 172 | 209 | −37 | 31.09 | [13] |
| Triestina | 1 July 2024 | 27 September 2024 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 13 | −6 | 14.29 | |
| Pro Vercelli | 11 June 2025 | Present | 21 | 10 | 3 | 8 | 29 | 24 | +5 | 47.62 | |
| Total | 176 | 61 | 40 | 75 | 250 | 294 | −44 | 34.66 | |||
References
- ^ a b c d "Van Ajax tot Internazionale: de carrière van video-analist en coach Michele Santoni". Vice. 7 April 2017.
- ^ Deckers, Aaron (27 September 2018). "Interview Michele Santoni: "Ik ben Martin Jol nog altijd dankbaar"" [Interview with Michele Santoni: "I am still grateful to Martin Jol"]. ELF Voetbal (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 22 February 2025. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
- ^ "Almere City FC neemt afscheid van hoofdtrainer Michele Santoni" [Almere City FC parts ways with head coach Michele Santoni]. Almere City FC (Press release) (in Dutch). 5 March 2019. Archived from the original on 12 December 2025. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
- ^ "Trainer Santoni per direct weg bij Almere City, Tobiasen op de bank" [Coach Santoni departs Almere City with immediate effect; Tobiasen takes charge]. NOS (in Dutch). 5 March 2019. Archived from the original on 19 March 2023. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
- ^ "Technisch hart en trainersstaf gevormd; Aleksandar Rankovic hoofdcoach" [Technical core and coaching staff formed; Aleksandar Ranković head coach]. ADO Den Haag (Press release) (in Dutch). 13 May 2020. Archived from the original on 20 January 2025. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
- ^ "Vertrokken ADO-assistent Michele Santoni: 'Absoluut geen sprake van ruzie'" [Departing ADO assistant Michele Santoni: 'Absolutely no talk of a dispute']. Omroep West (in Dutch). 4 November 2020. Archived from the original on 12 December 2025. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
- ^ Bomgaars, Arco (8 June 2021). "Michele Santoni trainer FC Dordrecht; Leon Vlemmings innovatiemanager". Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 1 July 2022.
- ^ "Michele Santoni è il nuovo allenatore della Triestina Calcio" (in Italian). ANSA. 29 May 2024. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
- ^ "Michele Santoni sollevato dall'incarico di guida tecnica della prima squadra" (in Italian). US Triestina Calcio 1918. 27 September 2024. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
- ^ "Michele Santoni è il nuovo allenatore della Prima Squadra" (in Italian). FC Pro Vercelli 1892. 11 June 2025. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
- ^ ""Italia e Olanda, ecco il mio mix". Santoni e l'Almere City, che sfida" (in Italian). GianlucaDiMarzio.com. 9 November 2018. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
- ^ "Statistics – Almere City". Soccerway. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
- ^ "Statistics – Dordrecht". Soccerway. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
External links
- Michele Santoni at WorldFootball.net