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Felice Mazzù

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Felice Mazzù (born 12 March 1966) is a Belgian professional football manager who is the head coach of Sint-Truiden.

Felice Mazzù
Mazzù in 2015
Personal information
Date of birth (1966-03-12) 12 March 1966 (age 58)
Place of birth Charleroi, Belgium
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Team information
Current team
 Sint-Truiden (head coach)
Youth career
1973–1986 Charleroi
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1990–1991 UJS Charleroi
1991–1992 FC Jumet
1992–1996 Moustier
1996 RC Sartois
Managerial career
1990–1996 RCS Nivellois (youth)
1996–1998 RA Marchiennoise (assistant)
1998–2000 RA Marchiennoise
2000–2006 RCS Brainois
2006–2007 Léopold Uccle-Woluwe
2007–2009 Tubize (assistant)
2009–2010 Tubize
2010–2013 White Star Woluwe
2013–2019 Charleroi
2019 Genk
2020–2022 Union Saint-Gilloise
2022 Anderlecht
2022–2024 Charleroi
2024– Sint-Truiden
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Mazzù has built a reputation for improving the status of smaller clubs, earning a number of promotions with regional sides, before helping Charleroi qualify for the Belgian Pro League title play-offs three times. He is also known for spotting and nurturing young talented players, such as Victor Osimhen, Paul Onuachu, Kaoru Mitoma, Deniz Undav and Dante Vanzeir.

His most famous spell in management saw him guide Union Saint-Gilloise back to the Belgian top-flight in 2021 after 48 years away,[1][2] before bringing them to the brink of the title in their first season back in the top division.[3][4]

Mazzù has also had brief spells in charge of Racing Genk[5] and Anderlecht,[6] leaving both clubs within six months of appointment, with both mid-table.[7][8]

In total, he has previously been in charge of RCS Nivellois, RA Marchiennoise des Sports, RCS Brainois, Léopold Uccle-Woluwe, Tubize, White Star Woluwe, Charleroi, Genk, Union SG and Anderlecht.

Coaching career

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Lower division beginnings

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A youth team coach for RCS Nivellois during his playing days in lower-league and amateur football in the 1990s, Mazzù first came to attention while T2 (assistant coach) at Tubize during the 2008-09 season, working under Albert Cartier, who Mazzù succeeded the following season.[9]

After one year in change at Tubize, Mazzù was recruited by Brussels club White Star Woluwe in the summer of 2010, and immediately guided White Star from Division 3 to promotion to the Second Division (now Challenger Pro League) in his very first season in charge, in tandem to also guiding them to quarter-finals of the 2010-11 Belgian Cup.

During the 2012-2013 season, the club won the first phase of the Second Division championship, guaranteeing them a place in the "final round", playing-off for promotion to the top division in Belgium, the Pro League. Despite a good start to the season, White Star Woluwe experienced serious financial problems and was put into liquidation in April 2013. It was only thanks to the unexpected intervention of a group of investors from Dubai that the club earned a temporary reprieve to contest the final play-offs, but without Mazzù, who left the club.

During that season, Mazzù had attracted the interest of Standard Liege to succeed Dutch coach Ron Jans in October 2012,[10] but Standard's overtures were rejected, as they would be again two years later.

Charleroi

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Instead, Mazzù was appointed Charleroi coach in 2013 after his five years of impressing with clubs in the lower divisions of the Belgian League.[11]

Charleroi finished tenth in Mazzù's first season in charge in 2013-14, and after this, the Zebras under Mazzu would consistently be a top-ten Belgian League club, finishing in the top six three times in four seasons, allowing them to contest the title play-offs. Charleroi's best finish in this time would be fifth in both 2015 and 2017, the latter achievement earning him the Raymond Goethals Trophy for Coach of the Year.[12]

Mazzu was once more approached by Standard Liege to become their coach, following the sacking of Guy Luzon in October 2014, but again Mazzu stayed put.[13][14]

In his final season at Charleroi, Mazzù signed Victor Osimhen on loan from Wolfsburg, at that stage having not scored in European football, with a return of no goals from 16 appearances for the Bundesliga side. Osimhen would score 20 goals for Charleroi in that 2018-19 campaign, before joining the Zebras permanently in the summer of 2019 ahead of a €16 million move to Lille.[15]

Genk

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Reigning champions Racing Genk brought him to Limburg in 2019 after their title-winning coach Philippe Clement had returned to his former side Club Brugge. Among Mazzu's signings was Nigerian striker Paul Onuachu from Danish side Midtjylland, who would follow up his first campaign of 10 goals with a 20-year high for the Pro League of 33 the following season (35 in all competitions).[16]

However, a poor start to their title defence allied with Genk's early UEFA Champions League exit in 2019-20, finishing fourth in a group also containing Liverpool, Napoli and a Salzburg side containing Erling Haaland and Takumi Minamino, saw Mazzù dismissed.[17]

Union Saint-Gilloise

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After eight months out of football, second-flight side Union St Gilloise brought Mazzù back into the game,[18] igniting a remarkable two-year spell where Union would win the First Division B title, and after promotion to the Belgian Pro League, would lead the title race from October to May before being overtaken by Club Brugge in the final week-and-a-half of the title play-offs, losing home and away to Club in their title-deciding meetings.

A talented squad containing lower-division imports and previous top-flight campaigners such as Dante Vanzeir, Deniz Undav, Teddy Teuma, Anthony Moris and Loïc Lapoussin helped Union SG to a huge 18-point margin over Seraing at the top of the 2020-21 Belgian First Division B (now Challenger Pro League), bringing the former footballing giants back to the highest division for the first time since 1973.[19][20]

A sensational return to top-flight football after 48 years away saw a 3-1 opening-day win away to Brussels' traditional giants Anderlecht,[21] and a week later, Union hosted reigning champions Club Brugge on 1 August 2021 in their first home game in the top division since 1973, being edged out 1-0 through a late Eduard Sobol winner.

Union went top of the Pro League on 17 October 2021, passing previous leaders Eupen by virtue of a 4-1 win over Seraing.

In a difficult January run against all of the previous season's top four, Union beat Anderlecht, Genk and Royal Antwerp, drawing 0-0 away to Club Brugge. By the end of the regular season, Union was top on 77 points, five ahead of Club Brugge, with Antwerp and Anderlecht also qualifying for the six rounds of play-offs, where the quartet would bring forward half of the regular season points into the play-offs. Hence, Union would resume on 39, Club 36, with Anderlecht and Antwerp both on 32.[21]

Union started the play-offs strongly, beating Anderlecht 3-1 and thus becoming the first club ever to inflict three defeats on the Mauves in the same league season. A 0-0 draw away to Antwerp saw the lead over Club Brugge maintained at three points.

The title race swung in the direction of Bruges in back-to-back games between Union and Club, with the champions earning a tight 2-0 win in Brussels to draw level on points,[22] with Club going top under the "half-points" rule, as Union had needed their tally from the regular season rounded-up. Club Brugge won the midweek return 1-0 at the Jan Breydel through a rebounded own goal from goalkeeper Anthony Moris to take a three-point lead with two games to go. A late equaliser from Casper Nielsen was disallowed by VAR for offside.[23][24]

Club Brugge clinched the league crown in their next (and penultimate) game against Royal Antwerp,[25][26] despite Union beating Anderlecht for the fourth time in the season 2-0 at Lotto Park.[27][28] Eventually, Union finished four points down on Club in second place, with 46 points compared to Club's 50, historically qualifying Union for the UEFA Champions League.

League glory for Union would have seen them become the first newly-promoted side to win a top-20 European national league championship at the first attempt since Kaiserslautern's 1998 Bundesliga success.[29][30]

Mazzu was honoured with four coaching awards for bringing Union so close - the Belgian Golden Shoe for 2021, the Raymond Goethals Trophy (his second), the Guy Thys Award voted for by his fellow coaches, and Belgian Pro League Coach of the Year for 2021-22.[31][32][33] During their run for the title, Mazzu gained a reputation for dancing in front of Union's fans post-match, cited as keeping a light atmosphere within the club and maintaining a close relationship with the Union support.[34]

Union's runners-up spot qualified them for the UEFA Champions League qualifiers, sending them into European football for the first time since 1964-65, and their first UEFA competition after featuring in five editions of the Fairs Cup in the 1950s and 60s.[35]

After going into first place in October, Union was at the top for 200 consecutive days.

Controversial move to Anderlecht, then Charleroi again

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The Unionistes' impressive run to becoming Brussels' top club attracted interest across the capital, and within days of being named Pro League Coach of the Year for 2022, Mazzu was photographed speaking in a restaurant to representatives of Anderlecht, who had just decided to dismiss Vincent Kompany.[36]

After a week's tug-of-war between the two clubs, Anderlecht announced that they had signed Mazzù as their new head coach on 31 May.[37][38][11] Anderlecht's move meant they had to pay Union compensation,[39] sparking ill-feeling between the two Brussels clubs,[40] though Union got their revenge by defeating Mazzu's new club in their first meeting since his departure, barely a month into the new season at the Joseph Marien Stadium on 28 August 2022.[41]

But among major in-house politicking and a poor start to the season, Mazzù was sacked on 24 October 2022 in the aftermath of an abandoned match away to Standard Liege, due to Anderlecht fan unrest.[42] The Mauves were 12th, five points above the relegation zone.[43]

Within a month, Mazzù was re-appointed as Charleroi coach, having first made his name as a top-flight coach there from 2013 to 2019, rescuing them from a relegation dogfight and bringing them into the European play-off positions with a week to go in the season.[44] However, a draw against league leaders Genk would see them marginally miss out on play-offs football.

The following 2023-24 season was a struggle, with Charleroi losing Belgium international Joris Kayembe to Genk, alongside the departures of attackers Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh, Jackson Tchatchoua and Ali Gholizadeh. Charleroi was in the bottom six for all but two weeks of the season, and a 5-0 loss on the final night of the regular season at KAA Gent saw the Zebras condemned to the relegation play-offs. Mazzu was dismissed the following day, and replaced by Rik De Mil.[45]

Sint-Truiden

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On 5 September 2024, Mazzù was announced as the new head coach of Sint-Truiden, he record two wins in as many games for the team since his appointment.[46]

Personal life

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Mazzù was born in Charleroi to an Italian father from Calabria.[47]

His brother Antonino Mazzù is Professor of Philosophy at the Université Libre de Bruxelles. Sister Pasqualina works in biopharmacy and led a team producing vaccines during the 2020 COVID crisis.[48]

Managerial statistics

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As of match played 30 October 2024
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team From To Record Ref.
P W D L Win %
Tubize May 2009 7 May 2010 37 9 15 13 024.32 [49]
White Star Woluwe 1 September 2010 19 April 2013 107 54 22 31 050.47 [50]
Charleroi 2 May 2013 3 June 2019 260 107 68 85 041.15 [51]
Genk 3 June 2019 12 November 2019 20 8 3 9 040.00 [52]
Union SG 24 May 2020 24 June 2022 72 50 10 12 069.44 [51]
Anderlecht 24 June 2022 24 October 2022 21 9 2 10 042.86
Charleroi 10 December 2022 21 March 2024 48 16 13 19 033.33
Sint-Truiden 3 September 2024 present 8 5 2 1 062.50 [46]
Total 571 256 135 180 044.83 —

Honours

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White Star Woluwe

Genk

Union SG

Individual

References

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  1. ^ Charlier, Dries (13 March 2021). "Union secures title against RWDM and returns to the highest class after 48 years". Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  2. ^ Stenning, Adam (14 March 2021). "Tony Bloom congratulations Union St Gilloise on promotion". The Argus. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  3. ^ "Union recovers from uppercut against Club: "But we still believe in the ultimate dream"". Sporza (in Dutch). 8 May 2022. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  4. ^ "Mazzu answers Verhaeghe: "Proud that we are 2nd in the championship of England"". Sporza (in Dutch). 16 May 2022. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  5. ^ Suffeleers, Ilse (3 June 2019). "Felice Mazzù nieuwe trainer bij KRC Genk". Radio 2 (in Dutch). Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  6. ^ Chini, Maïthé (31 May 2022). "Union Saint-Gilloise coach Mazzù in shock move to Brussels rivals Anderlecht". Brussels Times. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  7. ^ "Belgian champion Genk fires coach Mazzu". Associated Press. 12 November 2019. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  8. ^ Petrequin, Samuel (24 October 2022). "Struggling Anderlecht fires coach Felice Mazzù". Associated Press. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  9. ^ "Felice Mazzu ne prolongera pas à Tubize (Felice Mazzu will not extend at Tubize)". RTBF (in French). 7 May 2010. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  10. ^ Mast, Toon (23 October 2012). "Voorzitter Woluwe wil Felice Mazzu niet laten gaan (Woluwe chairman does not want to let Felice Mazzu go)". De Morgen (in Dutch). Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  11. ^ a b Berkvens, Abel (31 May 2022). "Felice Mazzu, de nieuwe coach van RSCA: 'Als ik wegga bij Union zal het met respect zijn' (Felice Mazzu, the new RSCA coach: 'If I leave Union, it will be with respect')". Bruzz (in Dutch). Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  12. ^ "Felice Mazzù remporte le Trophée Raymond Goethals (Felice Mazzù wins the Raymond Goethals Trophy)". Le Soir (in French). 18 December 2017. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  13. ^ "Mazzu réagit à la polémique autour des négociations avec le Standard (Mazzu reacts to the controversy surrounding the negotiations with the Standard)". RTBF (in French). 2 November 2014. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  14. ^ ""Duchâtelet est malhonnête: il m'a proposé d'échanger Mazzu avec Luzon" ("Duchâtelet is dishonest: he offered to exchange Mazzu with Luzon")". 7sur7 (in French). 30 October 2014. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  15. ^ Taiwo, Taiye (1 August 2019). "Victor Osimhen: Lille sign Sporting Charleroi forward on five-year deal". Goal.com. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  16. ^ "Super Eagle's Paul Onuachu wins Golden Bull award in Belgian Pro League". Nigeria Today. 25 May 2021. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  17. ^ "Belgian champion Genk fires coach Mazzu". Associated Press. 12 November 2019. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  18. ^ "Welcome Felice Mazzù!". rusg.brussels. 24 May 2020. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  19. ^ Stenning, Adam (14 March 2021). "Tony Bloom congratulations Union St Gilloise on promotion". The Argus. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  20. ^ Dzhulai, Dmytro (16 March 2021). "Король повертається: історичний гранд забивав 100 м'ячів за сезон, упав, але вперше за 48 років зіграє в еліті (The king returns: the historic greats scored 100 goals in a season, fell, but will play in the elite for the first time in 48 years". football24.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  21. ^ a b Devilez, Alice (3 April 2022). "L'Union Saint-Gilloise remporte la phase classique : les 5 moments clés d'un parcours idyllique (Union Saint-Gilloise wins the classic phase: the 5 key moments of an idyllic journey)". RTBF (in French). Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  22. ^ "Highlights: Union Saint-Gilloise vs Club Brugge". proleague.be. 11 May 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  23. ^ Devilez, Alice (13 May 2022). "Mazzu gooit de handdoek niet in de ring: "1e plek is nog steeds haalbaar"(Mazzu does not throw in the towel: "1st place is still achievable")". Sporza (in Dutch). Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  24. ^ "Highlights: Club Brugge vs Union Saint-Gilloise". proleague.be. 15 May 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  25. ^ "Club Brugge pakt historische derde landstitel op rij na remonte op de Bosuil (Club Brugge takes historic third national title in a row after a remonte on the Bosuil)". Sporza (in Dutch). 15 May 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  26. ^ "Highlights: Royal Antwerp vs Club Brugge". proleague.be. 15 May 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  27. ^ "Union verslaat Anderlecht voor de 4e keer dit seizoen en mag als vicekampioen de CL in (Union beats Anderlecht for the 4th time this season and is allowed to enter the Champions League as vice champion)". Sporza (in Dutch). 15 May 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  28. ^ "Highlights: RSC Anderlecht vs Union Saint-Gilloise". proleague.be. 15 May 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  29. ^ "Royale Union Saint-Gilloise: Belgium's Lazarus". Between The Lines. 20 March 2023. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  30. ^ "Daydream believer: Chris O'Loughlin's remarkable rise up the football ladder". Irish Times. 22 January 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  31. ^ "Kampioenenmaker Felice Mazzu ontvangt de Trofee Raymond Goethals". Sporza (in Dutch). 20 December 2021. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  32. ^ "Union boven op Pro League Awards: Undav beste speler en Mazzu beste coach (Union tops Pro League Awards: Undav best player and Mazzu best coach)". Bruzz (in Dutch). 24 May 2022. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  33. ^ a b "Felice Mazzu wins Belgian football manager of the year". Brussels Times. 10 September 2022. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  34. ^ Zidda, Giovanni (31 May 2022). "Union Saint-Gilloise: 'Dancing Mazzu' ravi, "une victoire acquise dans la difficulté (Union Saint-Gilloise: Dancing Mazzu delighted,"a victory gained in difficulty")". RTBF (in French). Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  35. ^ "Union Saint-Gilloise: The Belgian club two Englishmen took to the Champions League". The Athletic. 2 August 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  36. ^ "Op weg naar Anderlecht? Felice Mazzu en Anderlecht-voorzitter Wouter Vandenhaute gaan samen op restaurant" [Heading to Anderlecht? Felice Mazzu and Anderlecht chairman Wouter Vandenhaute go to a restaurant together]. Sporza (in Dutch). 28 May 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  37. ^ "Felice Mazzu volgt Vincent Kompany op bij Anderlecht: "Een unieke kans" (Felice Mazzu succeeds Vincent Kompany at Anderlecht: "A unique opportunity")". Sporza (in Dutch). 31 May 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  38. ^ "FELICE MAZZÙ BECOMES RSCA HEAD COACH". rsca.be. 31 May 2022. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  39. ^ "Union is not amused: "We zijn verbijsterd door de handelingen van Mazzu en Anderlecht" (Union is not amused: "We are stunned by the actions of Mazzu and Anderlecht")". Sporza (in Dutch). 31 May 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  40. ^ "Keert Mazzu terug naar Union als Judas of koning Midas? "Waarom was hij niet eerlijk?" (Will Mazzu return to Union as Judas or King Midas? "Why wasn't he honest?")". Sporza (in Dutch). 28 August 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  41. ^ "Geen overwinningsdans voor Mazzu: Union wint Brussels duel tegen ex-coach (No victory dance for Mazzu: Union wins Brussels duel against ex-coach)". Sporza (in Dutch). 28 August 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  42. ^ "Anderlecht sacks Mazzù after Standard match ends in chaos". The Brussels Times. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  43. ^ "Belgium 2022/23 First Division A after Day 14". WildStat.com. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  44. ^ Jackson, Ben (14 April 2023). "FELICE MAZZU: FORMER HEAD COACH'S RESURGENCE COULD COST ANDERLECHT". Get Football News. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  45. ^ Jackson, Ben (21 March 2024). "Felice Mazzù takes the fall for Charleroi's failure, but issues go beyond the head coach". Get Football News. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  46. ^ a b stvv.com https://stvv.com/nl/nieuws/artikel/felice-mazzu-wordt-nieuwe-trainer-van-stvv. Retrieved 23 September 2024. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  47. ^ "Felice Mazzù, l'été de ses quinze ans". L'Avenir (in French). 29 June 2013. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  48. ^ "Broer en ULB-filosoof Antonino Mazzu over Felice en Union: "Niet over titel spreken is ook wat bijgeloof" (Brother and ULB philosopher Antonino Mazzu about Felice and Union: "Not talking about the title is also a bit of superstition")". Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). 1 May 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  49. ^ "A.F.C. Tubize 2009–10 fixtures and results". Kicker (in German). Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  50. ^ "Royal White Star Bruxelles fixtures and results". Soccerway. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  51. ^ a b "Felice Mazzù at Footballdatabase.eu". Footballdatabase.eu. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  52. ^ "K.R.C. Genk 2019–20 fixtures and results". K.R.C. Genk official website. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  53. ^ "Felice Mazzu Trainer van het Jaar: de meester die Charleroi naar zijn hand zette".
  54. ^ "Soulier d'Or : Felice Mazzù est récompensé pour son travail avec Charleroi !".
  55. ^ "Kampioenenmaker Felice Mazzu ontvangt de Trofee Raymond Goethals".
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