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Roberto Di Matteo was last week appointed as the new manager of Aston Villa, and this week, his backroom coaching staff has been revealed.
Aston Villa this morning announced the new coaching staff, replacing the old staff, which consisted of staff members from at least three previous managerial regimes.
As previously reported, former West Brom and Reading manager Steve Clarke joins Villa as Di Matteo's assistant manager. Clarke is renowned for being a hands on type of coach, and is expected to play a huge part in terms of running first team training sessions. In addition, he is an experienced assistant manager in his own right, having previously worked as the right hand man to Ruud Gullit, Jose Mourinho and Gianfranco Zola.
Kevin Bond joins the club as new first team coach, having previously worked for a plethora of Premier League and Championship sides. He is best known for working alongside English managerial stalwart Harry Redknapp, coaching alongside him at Portsmouth, Southampton, Tottenham and QPR. Bond arrives at Villa following a brief managerial spell at Hong Kong Pegasus FC.
With goalkeeping coach Tony Parks departing the club last week, Villa have wasted no time in naming his replacement, Italian Massimo Battara. The 53 year old had a lengthy, if unspectacular playing career in his homeland, but post retirement, he has enjoyed a successful coaching career. Highlights include spells at Napoli and Fiorentina, before he linked up with Roberto Mancini at Inter Milan and later, Manchester City. After Mancini's dismissal, Battara headed to Germany, where he linked up with Roberto Di Matteo at Schalke.
Finally we have Massimiliano Marchesi, Aston Villa's new fitness coach. The Italian replaces Robert Duverne, the controversial former fitness guru who divided opinion among the playing staff. Marchesi spent a decade working in the UAE and Qatar before joining Inter Milan in 2014.
The new coaching staff certainly seems to be a strong makeup of talent and experience, and alongside an ambitious manager and owner, things are actually looking up at Villa Park. Will a squad overhaul be next on the agenda?