Dario Gradi

Dario Gradi MBE (born 8 July 1941) is an Italian-English former amateur football player, coach and manager. He has been associated for more than 30 years with Crewe Alexandra, with whom he is currently the director of football and also director of the Academy. Gradi played as an amateur for clubs in the London area (and won an England amateur cap); he then took on various coaching roles in the region. His first major managerial success was achieved with Wimbledon after which he briefly managed Crystal Palace in 1981. Gradi had a 24-year first spell as manager of Crewe between 1983 and 2007. He stepped down from his managerial role in 2007, handing first-team responsibilities to Steve Holland, and became technical director. At that time, Gradi was the longest-serving manager of an English football league club. After two further spells as Crewe manager, he finally stepped down in November 2011 to focus on the club's youth system. In late 2016, as the United Kingdom football sexual abuse scandal expanded, Gradi's roles at Crewe at the time of alleged offences in the 1980s and at Chelsea in the early 1970s were the subject of media scrutiny. The Chelsea allegations led to Gradi being suspended by The Football Association in November 2016. Gradi has denied any wrongdoing and, on 27 February 2017, was said to be planning an appeal against his FA suspension.

Dario Gradi MBE (born 8 July 1941) is an Italian-English former amateur football player, coach and manager. He has been associated for more than 30 years with Crewe Alexandra, with whom he is currently the director of football and also director of the Academy. Gradi played as an amateur for clubs in the London area (and won an England amateur cap); he then took on various coaching roles in the region. His first major managerial success was achieved with Wimbledon after which he briefly managed Crystal Palace in 1981. Gradi had a 24-year first spell as manager of Crewe between 1983 and 2007. He stepped down from his managerial role in 2007, handing first-team responsibilities to Steve Holland, and became technical director. At that time, Gradi was the longest-serving manager of an English football league club. After two further spells as Crewe manager, he finally stepped down in November 2011 to focus on the club's youth system. In late 2016, as the United Kingdom football sexual abuse scandal expanded, Gradi's roles at Crewe at the time of alleged offences in the 1980s and at Chelsea in the early 1970s were the subject of media scrutiny. The Chelsea allegations led to Gradi being suspended by The Football Association in November 2016. Gradi has denied any wrongdoing and, on 27 February 2017, was said to be planning an appeal against his FA suspension.