Pantaleo Corvino

Lore & Background

After his father's death, he was forced to interrupt his career as a player and became non-commissioned officer. His early career in management started in his town, Vernole. He then worked for Scorrano before moving to then Serie C1 side Casarano, thus turning to professional football. During his 10-year spell there, he signed Fabrizio Miccoli. He was sporting director of Lecce from 1998 to 2005, gaining a reputation for scouting and signing new talents such as strikers Javier Chevantón, Valeri Bojinov (whom he discovered at the age of 14 while playing for Pietà Hotspurs), Mirko Vučinić and midfielder Cristian Ledesma. In June 2000, he was about to sign Bulgarian player Dimitar Berbatov, who would later enjoy successful career. Corvino said in an interview that Berbatov had already underwent a medical, but when it came to signing the contract, the move collapsed, probably due to another request by the player himself. He has been in the books of Fiorentina since 2005. At Fiorentina, he most notably signed Zdravko Kuzmanović, Stevan Jovetić, Pablo Daniel Osvaldo, Felipe Melo, Juan Manuel Vargas, Artur Boruc, Alberto Gilardino, Adrian Mutu and many other players. In March, 2012, Fiorentina officially declared that Corvino's contract would not be renewed. He was replaced by former AS Roma Director, Daniele Pradè.

Reader's Guide

Pantaleo Corvino is an Italian football director. He began his management career in Vernole, then worked for Scorrano and Casarano. He served as sporting director of Lecce from 1998 to 2005, then joined Fiorentina in 2005. His contract with Fiorentina was not renewed in March 2012, and he was replaced by Daniele Pradè. He currently works for Lecce.

Did You Know?

• Corvino discovered Valeri Bojinov at age 14 while Bojinov was playing for Pietà Hotspurs.
• In June 2000, Corvino nearly signed Dimitar Berbatov for Lecce; Berbatov had already undergone a medical but the move collapsed.
• Corvino's 10-year spell at Casarano included signing Fabrizio Miccoli.