The story from Italy: What to expect from new Swansea boss Guidolin
Swansea City could have waited for Brendan Rodgers, Ryan Giggs, Marcelo Bielsa, or any number of popular managers linked to its vacant coaching position in recent weeks.
In the end, the club went with a relative outsider in Francesco Guidolin.
News of his imminent appointment travelled quickly, and within 24 hours of the initial reports, he was announced as Swansea's new head coach.
But there needn't be any questions about Guidolin's suitability, experience, or knowledge of the game. Chairman Huw Jenkins is right when he says his club found the right person, if not the biggest name.
Here are four reasons why Guidolin is a good fit for Swansea:
Able to work within tight parameters
Guidolin built his famous Udinese squad the old-fashioned way, relying on a vast scouting network to bring in young talent before the price went up. He worked with a budget smaller than most Premier League sides during his four-year tenure at the club, from 2010 to 2014, and yet still guided the Friuli to fourth- and third-place finishes - and, as a result, Europe.
"Other clubs have different budgets and targets but we are still here fighting hard for the top positions," Guidolin said in 2012. "We are really proud of that."
Swansea also carries one of the lowest payrolls in the Premier League, but it can expect Guidolin to use what he has to the fullest.
Competent with young talent
His crown jewel was Alexis Sanchez. Guidolin turned a raw player with potential into one with purpose. Sanchez scored 12 goals and provided a further six assists during the 2010-11 season, forming a formidable partnership with talisman Antonio Di Natale. It was Guidolin's decision to take Sanchez away from the wing and move him into a more central role, and that has had a transformative effect on his career.
Guidolin also fostered the growth of goalkeeper Samir Handanovic, who has since become one of Italy's best in the position at Inter Milan, and defender Mehdi Benatia, who secured transfers subsequent transfers to Roma and Bayern Munich. There are many graduates from Guidolin's Udinese, and he could yet bring out the best of players like 23-year-old Modou Barrow and Jefferson Montero, who started the year well enough but fizzled out as Swansea lost more matches.
Unfazed by sales of big players
Despite its success, Udinese constantly turned a profit with Guidolin in charge. The northerners made €32.3 million after the 2012-13 season, a stunning figure in a league whose clubs are rarely profitable at all. Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 described Udinese's business model "like a Swiss watch," counting several exports out of the club.
But Udinese still managed to compete with the likes of Inter and AC Milan - both of which shouldered expenses in the hundreds of millions - and even finished ahead of Juventus in 2010-11.
Swansea has watched some of the players it has developed leave for bigger clubs - most notably Wilfried Bony, who switched Liberty Stadium with Manchester City's Etihad in January 2015. The Swans are just as vulnerable to the vultures of the Premier League, and they can rest assured that Guidolin can still do his job while they circle overhead.
Experienced manager with tactical flexibility
Guidolin's managerial career spans almost three decades, with 555 Serie A matches under his belt. He has coached in a variety of situations, bringing Vicenza out of Serie B and into Europe between 1994 and 1998. He won the Coppa Italia there, and also reached the semifinal of the 1998 Cup Winners' Cup with Vicenza.
He also gave life to Luca Toni while managing Palermo. In 2014, Toni scored 30 goals as the Sicilian side returned to the top flight after 35 years in the lower divisions.
Guidolin hatched several formations throughout his various stints, but favoured the three-man backline. His versatility kept the opposition guessing, with anything from a 4-2-3-1 to a 3-6-1 taking the pitch.
At Udinese, though, Guidolin earned the most plaudits. Club owner Giampaolo Pozzo declared that the Friuli had played Italy's best football, in a town of just 100,000.
Even if Swansea cannot reverse its form and does go down to the Championship, Guidolin has the ability to limit the club's stay to just one season.