Salvatore Aronica (born 20 January 1978) is an Italian football manager and former player who played as a defender. He is the head coach of Serie C Group C club Trapani.

Salvatore Aronica
Aronica with Napoli
Personal information
Date of birth (1978-01-20) 20 January 1978 (age 46)
Place of birth Palermo, Italy
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Position(s) Centre-back, left-back
Team information
Current team
Trapani (head coach)
Youth career
Bagheria
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1994–1996 Bagheria 32 (0)
1996–1998 Juventus 1 (0)
1998–2002 Crotone 107 (1)
2002–2003 Ascoli 31 (0)
2003–2006 Messina 97 (0)
2006–2008 Reggina 71 (0)
2008–2013 Napoli 111 (0)
2013–2014 Palermo 16 (0)
2015 Reggina 13 (0)
2015 Calcio Sicilia
Total 479 (1)
Managerial career
2020–2021 Savoia
2022–2023 Don Carlo Misilmeri
2024– Trapani
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career

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Aronica spent his early career with Juventus, but he was sent to Crotone on loan. The deal became a co-ownership deal for the 2000–01 and 2001–02 seasons for €91,000.[2] In June 2002 Aronica returned to Juventus for an undisclosed fee but was loaned to Serie B side Ascoli with an option to purchase. However, the next season he moved to Messina from Juventus along with Luigi Lavecchia and Andrea Gentile in another co-ownership deal. Aronica was valued €1 million at that time, thus Messina purchased half for €500,000. In June 2006, Messina purchased Aronica for an undisclosed fee (around €240,000 to €300,000) and Lavecchia and Gentile outright for free. However, in July 2006 he was sold to Reggina.

He was signed by Napoli on 1 September 2008, for €2,675,000,[3] With the departure of Maurizio Domizzi and Erminio Rullo, Aronica was featured as a left-sided central defender or as a left-sided wingback ahead of Mirko Savini in the team's 3–5–2 formation, sharing the role of the team's left wingback with Luigi Vitale.

In 2010–11 season he started to play with Paolo Cannavaro and Hugo Campagnaro consistently. Although they played well that season, in the following season, the squad's lack of depth made it difficult to face both 2011–12 UEFA Champions League and 2011–12 Serie A, making the club slip from a third-place finish in 2010–11 to fifth place in 2011–12. In May 2012 Aronica renewed his contract (1+1 year).[4]

On 29 December 2012, he moved to Palermo, signing a contract until 2015.[5] His Palermo stay was, however, difficult from the very beginning, as he did not succeed in helping his club to escape relegation and was subsequently excluded from the first team for the whole 2013–14 Serie B season, as well as the early part of 2014–15. He mutually rescinded his contract in December 2014.[6]

On 14 January 2015, he returned to Lega Pro side Reggina.[7] After helping the club avoid relegation, he left the team at the end of the season, and briefly joined Calcio Sicilia, before retiring from professional football in 2015.[8]

Coaching career

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After retiring, Aronica obtained his Italy Category 2 Coaching License (UEFA A License), making him eligible to coach youth and Lega Pro teams or as an assistant manager in Serie A and Serie B. In September 2018, it was announced that Aronica would join Trapani as a youth coach.[8] On 15 July 2019, he moved in as Under-17 youth coach for Trapani.[9]

In July 2020 he took over his first coaching role, as manager of Serie D club Savoia.[10] He was sacked on 4 February 2021.[11]

On 19 December 2022, Aronica was unveiled as head coach of Eccellenza Sicily amateurs Don Carlo Misilmeri.[12] He left the club by the end of the season after guiding it to the promotion playoffs.

In July 2024, Aronica signed as the new Under-19 coach of Trapani.[13] On 2 September 2024, following the dismissal of head coach Alfio Torrisi, Aronica was temporarily promoted in charge of the first team.[14] After leading Trapani to a 2–1 away win to Crotone on his debut, Trapani chairman and owner Valerio Antonini announced to have appointed Aronica as the permanent head coach for the season.[15]

Personal life

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On 23 June 2003, Aronica married Caterina Moltrasio. Together they have two children, born in 2004 and 2010.[16]

In May 2007, Aronica was made an honorary citizen of Reggio Calabria after helping the local club Reggina avoid relegation during the 2006–07 Serie A season.[17]

Controversy

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On 24 March 2009, Aronica, along with Franco Brienza and Vincenzo Montalbano, was included in the list of players who were accused of conspiring with the Mafia to fix some of Palermo's matches in 2003. Aronica was playing for Ascoli at the time but was involved in one of the matches which was under investigation, namely Ascoli–Palermo (1–2), from 24 May 2003. In September 2009, however, the case was archived, as the statute of limitations had expired.[18]

In July 2018, Aronica and former Napoli footballers Pepe Reina and Paolo Cannavaro were subject to a hearing by the Italian Football Federation over links to the Esposito brothers, high-ranking members of the Camorra.[19]

References

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  1. ^ "Aronica, Salvatore Aronica - Footballer". www.bdfutbol.com. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  2. ^ "Reports and Financial Statements at 30 June 2002" (PDF). Juventus FC. 28 October 2002. Retrieved 11 May 2012. Players' sharing costs ex art.102-bis N.O.I.F.
  3. ^ SSC Napoli SpA 2008–09 Annual Report (bilancio), Require purchase in CCIAA
  4. ^ Napoli-Aronica: il rinnovo controfirmato da De Laurentiis - Gianlucadimarzio - TUTTO MERCATO WEB
  5. ^ ACCORDO COL NAPOLI ARONICA FINO AL 2015 - U.S. Città di Palermo
  6. ^ "Nemo propheta in patria Aronica rescinde col Palermo - LiveSicilia Sport". Archived from the original on 21 April 2017. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  7. ^ "UFFICIALE: SALVATORE ARONICA IN AMARANTO" (in Italian). Regginacalcio.com. 24 September 2015. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015.
  8. ^ a b "La nuova vita di Aronica: allenerà i ragazzi del Trapani" (in Italian). palermotoday.it. 11 September 2018. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  9. ^ "TMW - Trapani, panchina Primavera a Scurto. U-17 per Aronica" (in Italian). TuttoMercatoWeb. 15 July 2019. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
  10. ^ "INIZIA IL FUTURO AL GIRAUD: ARONICA NUOVO ALLENATORE DEL SAVOIA" (in Italian). US Savoia 1908. 18 July 2020. Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  11. ^ "Savoia, Aronica sollevato dall'incarico" (in Italian). Tuttocampo. 4 February 2021. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  12. ^ "Don Carlo Misilmeri, Salvatore Aronica è il nuovo allenatore" (in Italian). Stadionews. 19 December 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  13. ^ "Giovanili Trapani, annunciati Aronica e Dell'Orzo!" (in Italian). Tuttocampo. 18 July 2024. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  14. ^ "Esonerato mister Alfio Torrisi" (in Italian). FC Trapani 1905. 2 September 2024. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  15. ^ "Trapani, l'ex rosanero Aronica confermato alla guida della squadra granata" (in Italian). Giornale di Sicilia. 8 September 2024. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  16. ^ Barbara Carere (3 April 2010). "Salvatore Aronica" (in Italian). tuttomercatoweb.com. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  17. ^ "Mazzarri-Samp, è fatta" (in Italian). La Repubblica. 29 May 2007. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  18. ^ "CALCIO, PALERMO: ARCHIVIATA INCHIESTA SU FRODE SPORTIVA FOSCHI" (in Italian). La Repubblica. 28 September 2009. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  19. ^ "Reina faces hearing over links with trio connected to mafia". NBC SPORTS. 21 May 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
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