At Coverciano, where Italy’s coaching tradition is shaped beside the training pitches outside Florence, Franck Ribéry has taken the next step in a career that carried him from Bayern Munich to Serie A. The former France winger is among the latest graduates to receive the UEFA Pro licence from the Italian Football Federation.
The qualification is the highest coaching credential in the professional game and allows its holders to work at the top level. Ribéry, 43, ended his playing career with Salernitana in 2022 after finishing his final seasons in Italy, having arrived at Fiorentina from Bayern in 2019.
During the practical element of his course, Ribéry visited a Racing Santander training session in April. His playing record includes the Champions League and nine Bundesliga titles won during his Bayern spell between 2007 and 2019.
Former Inter captain joins the graduates
Ribéry is joined on the new UEFA Pro list by Samir Handanović, the Slovenian goalkeeper who represented Inter from 2012 until his retirement in 2023. The 42-year-old is already working within the Milan club’s academy, where he coaches the Under-17 side.
Aleksandar Kolarov has also completed the course. The 40-year-old Serbian, a former Manchester City and Inter defender, won two Premier League titles in England and a Serie A crown with Inter among a long list of honours.
Alessandro Diamanti, the 43-year-old former Italy international, is another successful candidate. Unlike several of his fellow graduates, he has already moved into senior management and is currently in charge of Cesena in Serie B.
A new Coverciano class begins
The next UEFA Pro programme has already started in September, bringing another group of prominent former players to Coverciano. Pepe Reina and Domenico Criscito are among those beginning their route towards the top licence.
Leonardo Bonucci and Massimo Maccarone have also enrolled. Both are currently part of Roberto Mancini’s staff as he begins a second spell as Italy coach, placing two more former internationals on the same technical path now completed by Ribéry, Handanović, Kolarov and Diamanti.
