From Sicily to the Bosphorus, with a stop in Germany along the way. Vincenzo Italiano followed a historic maritime route when he decided to sign for Besiktas.
At the height of the Turkish Empire, many Italian islanders, after converting to Islam, served the government in Istanbul. Although he was born in Germany, where his father was working at the time, the current Besiktas coach grew up on the largest island in the Mediterranean, from which he began his career as a modest footballer.
Now, as a coach with proven experience and an aggressive style of play, the 48-year-old faces his first experience outside Italy. He was one of the headline signings for the black-and-white club based in Istanbul, which saw rivals Fenerbahce strengthen their squad with the likes of Mason Greenwood, Nathan Ake, and Romelu Lukaku.
After being bluntly rejected by Napoli, Italiano immediately embraced the exciting challenge with the 'Kara Kartallar', with whom he has already won his first league match.
Justified hype
Having gone almost five years without a domestic title, the club from the northwestern side of Istanbul have turned to him to give their game a more attacking identity. As well as to provide more entertainment for their fans, who so far haven't seen any goal-fests - their five wins in five official matches have been four 1-0s and one 2-0 - but have noticed the harmony in play established by the Italian coach.
The hype has already been growing for some time, thanks to a transfer campaign that brought players like Leandro Trossard, Alexander Nubel, Orkun Kokcu, Abdoul Kader Ouattara, Dusan Vlahovic, and Salih Ozcan to the Vodafone Arena, with the latter two arriving on free transfers.
And the hype is justified, as in recent years Italiano has shown he could effectively manage the squads of Fiorentina and Bologna, two teams from the upper half of the Serie A table. But above all, he has shown he knows how to manage his resources.
The two Conference League finals reached with the Viola, even though they were both lost, were the culmination of an excellent journey. Italiano has shown he knows how to use his players' minutes wisely to get the best out of them, especially in continental competitions.
And now, as his team fight for a spot in the league phase of the Europa League in a two-legged tie against Kauno Zalgiris (starting on Thursday evening), it's clear that his tactical decisions will be crucial.
Successful partnership reunited
Almost acting as an English-style manager in organising the team, Italiano is enthusiastically embarking on this new adventure. And his aim is to make Besiktas a leading force in the 2026/27 season, both domestically and abroad. On top of that, in recent days he received a gift that will boost his mood and allow him to recreate a successful partnership.
That is, having Vlahovic as his main striker.
It's worth remembering that in the first part of the 2021/22 season, the Serbian scored 20 goals in 24 matches while working with the Sicilian coach at Fiorentina.
So, this is a partnership that has already achieved significant success, which was only interrupted by the Balkan striker's move to Juventus for 70 million euros. Now, however, this proven and effective duo will have a second chance to do even better, and over a longer period.
The excitement with which the striker presented himself to the large black-and-white crowd in Istanbul was almost messianic. Like someone who has come to make history. A Serb in Turkey - almost an oxymoron, given the ancient rivalries between the two strongest peoples in the Balkans until the fall of the Roman Empire.
Today, with an Italian at the helm and a Serb leading the attack, Besiktas are ready for a true revolution. Both in Turkey and in Europe.