Italy’s Parma football team signs Romanian Cristian Chivu as new head coach
<p>Former Romanian footballer <strong>Cristian Chivu</strong> will be Parma’s new manager after the Serie A team fired coach Fabio Pecchia, the football club announced. He is set to begin training the team at the Mutti Training Center on Tuesday, February 18.</p>
<p>Chivu, 44, is the former captain of the Romanian national team. He will be joined by Antonio Gagliardi (assistant manager), Angelo Palombo (technical assistant), and Nicola Pavarini (goalkeeper coach) on the bench.</p>
<p>Cristian Chivu, who used to play as a defender, signed a contract valid for one and a half seasons, according to <a href="https://www.gsp.ro/international/campionate/cristi-chivu-acord-parma-contract-779512.html">GSP.ro</a>. The Romanian’s first match as head coach will take place on February 22, against Bologna.</p>
<p>Romanians Dennis Man and Valentin Mihăilă play for Parma, which is currently in the 18th place - out of 20 - in Serie A.</p>
<p>Chivu has a lot to prove. Until now, he has only coached at the youth level and in Inter Milan's Primavera teams, managing to become Italy’s youth champion in the 2021-2022 season. </p>
<p>Cristian Chivu first obtained his coach license in Italy in 2017 and is now the second Romanian to ever coach a Serie A team, after legendary coach Mircea Lucescu. He also beat coach Andrea Pirlo for the job on Parma’s bench, after Igor Tudor turned down the position.</p>
<p><em><a href="mailto:radu@romania-insider.com">radu@romania-insider.com</a></em></p>
<p><em>(Photo source: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CristianChivu26?__tn__=-UC*F">Cristian Chivu</a> on Facebook)</em></p>