Francesco Rocca

1. Overview

Francesco Rocca (Francesco Rocca_{franˈtʃesko ˈrɔkka}^Italian; born 2 August 1954) is an Italian professional football coach and former player. Primarily a defender, he spent his entire playing career with Roma, where he notably won the Coppa Italia twice. Following his playing career, Rocca transitioned into coaching, leading the Italy Olympic side to a fourth-place finish at the 1988 Summer Olympics. He also served as the coach for the Italy U20 national team from 2008 to 2011 and is an inductee into the A.S. Roma Hall of Fame.

2. Playing Career

Francesco Rocca's professional football playing career was characterized by his exclusive dedication to one club and a promising international stint that was cut short by injury.

2.1. Club Career

Born in San Vito Romano, a village approximately 25 mile ^{(40 km)} from Rome, Rocca began his club football career exclusively with Roma. He played for the club from 1972 until 1981, making a total of 163 appearances. This included 141 games in Serie A, Italy's top-tier league, and 22 matches in the Coppa Italia cup competition. While he did not score any goals for the club during his tenure, he was a key part of the team that secured consecutive Coppa Italia titles in the 1979-80 and 1980-81 seasons.

Tragically, at the young age of 26, Rocca was forced to retire from professional football due to a serious injury. His early retirement marked the end of a promising career that had seen him establish himself as a reliable defender.

3. Managerial Career

After his playing career ended prematurely, Francesco Rocca transitioned into football management, focusing primarily on various Italian national youth and Olympic teams.

His first significant managerial role was leading the Italy Olympic side to a fourth-place finish at the 1988 Summer Olympics held in Seoul, South Korea.

Rocca subsequently took on various coaching positions within the Italian youth national team setup:

• He managed the Italy U-18 national team from 1995 to 1997.
• He had two stints as coach of the Italy U-17 national team, first from 1996 to 1998, and later from 2004 to 2006.
• He coached the Italy U-20 national team from 2000 to 2004, and again from 2008 to 2011. During his latter period with the U-20 team, he led them to the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
• From 2006 to 2008, he was in charge of the Italy U-19 national team, guiding them to a runner-up finish in the 2008 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship.

4. Style of Play

Francesco Rocca was renowned for his dynamic and hardworking style of play as a left-back. His exceptional attributes earned him the distinctive nickname "Kawasaki", after the Japanese brand of high-performance motorbikes. This moniker was a testament to his remarkable pace, tireless work-rate, abundant energy, and impressive durability on the field. Beyond his physical prowess, Rocca was also recognized for his accurate crossing ability, which allowed him to deliver precise balls into the opposition's penalty area from the flank.

5. Honours

Rocca's career, though cut short by injury, was marked by significant team achievements and individual recognition.