Maurizio Zamparini

Maurizio Zamparini (born 9 June 1941 in Sevegliano, Udine) is an Italian businessman and the current owner and chairman of Serie A club U.S. Città di Palermo.

Zamparini has business interest in several fields, with Emmezeta department stores being the most important one. He entered into football in 1987, after having bought then Serie C2 club Venezia, saving it from a possible bankruptcy. His investments in the football club led Venezia to reach Serie A in a few years. He sold Venezia in 2002 in order to buy then-Serie B club Palermo from AS Roma chairman Franco Sensi with the goal to bring the Sicilian team back to Serie A in a very few years. Palermo promoted to Italian top division in 2004 and gained the right to participate UEFA Cup the next years, after an impressive season ended in sixth place, quickly emerging as one of the most interesting Serie A teams.

Zamparini is widely known in Italian football for his alleged lack of patience and proneness to sack head coaches. He fired a total of 26 head coaches since his enter into football in 1987, fifteen at Venezia and seven at Palermo, with the latest being Francesco Guidolin, which Zamparini had sacked already 3 times before, on 24 March 2008. Ironically, the sacking of Guidolin meant the return of Stefano Colantuono, who had already been sacked by Zamparini on 26 November 2007.

Zamparini sacked Stefano Colantuono and hired Davide Ballardini .