“From World Cup hero to Serie B success: The rise of Fabio Grosso as coach of Frosinone”

When Marcello Lippi pointed at him, he asked in astonishment: “Why me?” Full-back Fabio Grosso did not understand that he was supposed to go for the fifth penalty in the shoot-out for the world title. He, who had been kicking in the fourth division five years before? “Yes, you , Fabio,” Lippi answered him. “You are a man for decisive moments.”

It was a hot Sunday, July 9, 2006, and after 24 years Italy dominated the soccer planet. Also thanks to Gross, who sovereignly converted the fateful penalty in Berlin. “A magical night! You don’t forget these moments,” he confessed emotionally after winning the final with France.

It’s hard to compare, but on Monday Signor Grosso experienced another euphoric moment. Frosinone, the yellow-blue team from the city of 40,000 in the Lazio region, returned to the first league after four years. Gross’s team will finish the last three rounds with a pleasant certainty of advancement.

After the 3:1 home triumph over Reggina, the fans ran from the stands to the lawn and celebrated wildly. Behind Frosinone, the ninth team last season, are far better-known brands: Parma, Cagliari and Perugia, where Grosso played Serie A for the first time at the age of twenty-three. He has titles from Italy and France, but as a coach he had to start from scratch. He gained his first experience with the youth team of Juventus, we have already mentioned the unlucky stop in Brescia, and he did not have extra results in Bari, Verona and the Swiss Sion either.

He only found himself in Frosinone, where he arrived the previous March. He put together an interesting team with players of twelve nationalities and the Ciociari, as the club is called, have the most productive attack in Serie B and the strongest defense with the second FC Genoa. He has held first place continuously since the tenth round.

When Grosso came into the booth behind the jubilant team after the promotion battle, he began with a short speech: “Wonderful journey, thanks to everyone!” than one season Will Fabio Grosso change it?