Antonio Soda

Antonio Soda (born 24 June 1964 in Cutro) is an Italian football manager currently of Recanatese and former striker.

Playing

Soda started his professional career with Catanzaro, where he played from 1982 to 1988 (except for a one-year stint at Carbonia in 1983–1984).

He then played for several Serie A and Serie B teams, such as Bari and Palermo. He retired in 1997. Most memorably, he scored on his Serie A debut in Bari's 2-0 home victory against Juventus on 25 November 1990.

Coaching

In 2003 Soda started his managing career, accepting a head coach job at Serie D team Sanremese, leading his side to an immediate promotion to Serie C2 in his first season and an impressive sixth place the following season.

In 2005 he was appointed at the helm of then-Serie C1 side Spezia; Soda immediately managed to win a historical promotion to Serie B in his first season, winning the Serie C1/A champions after a long battle with Genoa. In his first Serie B campaign, Soda then led Spezia to escape relegation after winning a dramatic two-legged playoff against Verona, being then confirmed for the 2007–08 season. Economic problems however prevented the team from being reinforced, and Spezia ultimately went relegated to the third tier in 2008, with the club declaring bankruptcy a few weeks after the end of the season and being not admitted into professional football.

These events left Soda without a club until November 2008, when he accepted to replace Aldo Papagni as head coach of Lega Pro Prima Divisione promotion hopefuls Benevento. He guided the club to second place in the final league table, losing promotion in the playoff finals against Crotone. He left the club by mutual consent on June 2009.

Since 2 February 2011 until the end of the season he was the coach of Poggibonsi in Lega Pro Seconda Divisione group B.

Since 19 March 2012 until to the end of the season he was the new coach of Montichiari in Lega Pro Seconda Divisione group A.

In the summer 2012 he was named new coach of Vibonese in Serie D group I.