Nedo Sonetti (born 25 February 1941) is an Italian football manager and former player, who played as a defender.
Sonetti was born in Piombino, southern Tuscany and lives now in Gorle.[1]
As a defender, Sonetti played in Serie B and Serie C for Spezia Calcio 1906 and Reggina.
As a manager, Sonetti has had a long career at the helm of several Serie A and Serie B teams in the whole country. Among the several teams he led, he had his major successes with Atalanta B.C., which he led from Serie B to a ninth place in Serie A, coaching the team for four seasons.
He is often considered a "replacement" coach, as he was often appointed in his career to replace fired managers from Serie A teams fighting to avoid relegation, or Serie B teams which managed to promote.
More recently, Sonetti joined Cagliari in November 2005, replacing Davide Ballardini, becoming the fourth coach appointed by the Sardinian team in a couple of months. He succeeded in maintaining his job until the end of the tournament, and in leading the rossoblù to maintain a place in the next Serie A; he left Cagliari at the end of the season. On 14 November 2006, Sonetti was appointed to replace Attilio Tesser at the helm of then last-placed relegation-battling Serie A Ascoli. He did not manage to save his side from falling to Serie B, and ended his experience in Ascoli at the end of the season with a second-last place. In November 2007 he returned at Cagliari for his third time, as he was appointed to replace Marco Giampaolo at the helm of the Sardinians.[2] He resigned from his post on 19 December, but was confirmed by the club the next day after Marco Giampaolo rejected to return at the helm of the club.[3] However, Sonetti was sacked only a few days later, after a 5–1 loss to Fiorentina, leaving the team last-placed in the league table, being replaced by Davide Ballardini.[4] From 25 September 2008, he has been called back to Brescia replacing Serse Cosmi.[5] On 19 May 2009 he was sacked himself, following a 2–1 loss to promotion rivals Grosseto that left Brescia in fourth placed, but with only a two-point lead to 7th-placed Triestina.[6]
On 28 March 2010, 69-year-old Sonetti returned to management, replacing Rolando Maran as head coach of Serie B relegation battlers Vicenza.[7] His stint as Vicenza head coach, as he was sacked on 15 April after only three games in charge, ended with respectively two draws and a loss.[8]