Massimo_Drago
Massimo Drago
Italian footballer and coach
Massimo Drago (born March 2, 1971) is an Italian professional football coach and a former player.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1971-03-02) March 2, 1971 (age 53) | ||
| Place of birth | Crotone, Italy | ||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Pescara | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1988–1989 | Kroton | 33 | (0) |
| 1989–1990 | Nola | 27 | (0) |
| 1990–1991 | Avellino | 1 | (0) |
| 1991 | Licata | 4 | (0) |
| 1991–1992 | Vigor Lamezia | 31 | (3) |
| 1992–1994 | Licata | 60 | (1) |
| 1994–1996 | Catania | 52 | (1) |
| 1996–1999 | Potenza | 95 | (9) |
| 1999–2000 | Castrovillari | 27 | (2) |
| 2000–2001 | Chieti | 34 | (0) |
| 2001–2003 | L'Aquila | 57 | (3) |
| 2003–2004 | Potenza | 15 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2008–2012 | Crotone (assistant) | ||
| 2012–2015 | Crotone | ||
| 2015–2016 | Cesena | ||
| 2019 | Reggina | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Born in Crotone, Drago started his career at hometown club Kroton in the Serie C2 league. In 1990–91 he had a short stint at Serie B level with Avellino, in what was his highest point as a footballer. He successively played at Serie C1, Serie C2 and Serie D level with a variety of teams before retiring in 2004.
After retiring as a player, Drago joined Crotone's coaching staff in 2005 as a youth coach for the Giovanissimi (under-15) level. In 2008, he was promoted as technical collaborator for the first team, and was successively named as assistant coach to Leonardo Menichini in 2011. After the latter's dismissal as head coach, Drago was then promoted new head coach of Crotone in January 2012,[1] successfully guiding the Calabrian club to safety in the 2011–12 Serie B and being successively appointed as permanent manager by the end of the season.[2]
Drago was successively admitted to the UEFA Pro Licence course due to his role as manager of a Serie B club in December 2012. Under his tenure, Crotone achieved a twelfth place in the 2012–13 season and, then, an impressive sixth place in the 2013–14 Serie B, the best result in the club history to date, thus qualifying to the promotion playoffs (then lost to Bari).
On 4 February 2019, Drago was appointed as the manager of Reggina.[3] The adventure at Reggina ended after only 9 games. He was fired after a defeat to Sicula Leonzio on 4 April 2019, after only managing to get 9 points in 9 games.[4]
- "Crotone, esonerato Menichini: Drago nuovo allenatore" (in Italian). SportLive.it. 24 January 2012. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
- "UFFICIALE: Crotone, Massimo Drago in panchina fino al 2015" (in Italian). TuttoMercatoWeb. 29 May 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
- Ad allenare la Reggina Massimo Drago, il sidernese Galluzzo sarà allenatore in seconda, larivieraonline.com, 4 February 2019
- Calcio, Massimo Drago esonerato: già finita l’avventura sulla panchina della Reggina, ilcrotonese.it, 4 February 2019