ROME (Reuters) - Filippo Inzaghi could lead Brescia to the top of Serie B on Sunday but the manager has faced extraordinary levels of disruption to his preparations after the club reportedly tried to sack him, only to be stopped by a contract clause.
The Lombardy team head into their clash with relegation battling visitors Alessandria at the Stadio Rigamonti in third place, two points off top spot.
Slip-ups from leaders Lecce and second-placed Pisa at home to Benevento and Ternana respectively could see Inzaghi’s side take pole position in the battle for promotion.
However, a contract clause that protects the former AC Milan great from being dismissed while his side are in the top eight is reportedly the only reason he is still in a job.
Inzaghi, who joined Brescia in the close season, oversaw a 0-0 draw at lowly Cosenza on Saturday.
It left the Rondinelle in a strong position but by Sunday media reports had emerged saying club president Massimo Cellino had decided to fire Inzaghi after falling out with the coach.
Uruguayan Diego Lopez, still under contract at the club until June after two short spells in charge in 2020, was lined up as his replacement.
UNBRIDGEABLE GAP
The situation came to a head on Tuesday, when Cellino spoke about Inzaghi in an interview with Italian news website notizie.com, saying: “The distance between our viewpoints was unbridgeable”.
But by the afternoon, Brescia had performed a U-turn.
Reports said that Inzaghi was protected by the clause while in the top eight, and sporting director Francesco Marroccu held a news conference to discuss the matter.
“We never officially sacked Inzaghi. We are just weighing up his sacking,” he said. “I met Lopez and his staff but there wasn’t a good atmosphere in the city for his return.
"Diego, as a friend of Brescia and president Cellino, and considering the reaction of the media, social media and fans, gave up the job.”
PEACE DECLARED
On Wednesday, Inzaghi and Cellino reportedly made peace, and the coach returned to training the squad.
By the evening, the club’s official Twitter account posted pictures of the pair with a blue love heart and hand-shake icon as a caption.
Cellino has a long-established reputation for being impatient with coaches, and made 36 managerial changes during 22 years as Cagliari owner.
The latest reports say Lopez is close to terminating the final four months of his deal at Brescia and cutting ties completely.
“The squad will feel these jolts, but if the guys are on the coach’s side they will now be motivated to give even more than they already have for Inzaghi. These situations can also be read in a positive way,” ex-Brescia striker Dario Hubner told sports news website TMW.
“Of course, it is always better if it doesn’t happen, and in the end sacking a coach who is a point away from (the automatic) promotion (places) is always going to be a strange idea, but we know that Cellino is like this.”
All eyes will be on the Alessandria match to see what impact the turmoil has had on Inzaghi's squad.
(Reporting by Alasdair Mackenzie; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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