Pisa have officially confirmed the appointment of Alberto Gilardino as their new head coach ahead of their return to Serie A.

The club, newly promoted to the Italian top flight, replaces one legendary striker with another - just two weeks after Filippo Inzaghi left the post to take over at Palermo.

Gilardino, 42, is best known for his playing days with AC Milan and Fiorentina, as well as winning the 2006 World Cup with Italy. As a manager, his most notable stint came at Genoa, where he initially took charge of the U19 squad in 2022 before being promoted to lead the senior team mid-season when they sat 5th in Serie B.

Under his leadership, Genoa earned automatic promotion to Serie A in the 2022/23 campaign. He followed that up by guiding the team to an impressive 11th-place finish in the top tier. However, a poor run of form in the autumn saw Genoa slide to 17th, and Gilardino was relieved of his duties in November 2024.

Across 79 matches in charge of Genoa, Gilardino registered 32 wins, 23 draws, and 24 defeats - a solid record that Pisa hopes can bring stability and momentum in their first season back among Italy’s elite.