Both left in April 2002, despite the team was fully involved in a fight for a playoff placement, citing bad relationships with the club's management.
The season ended in a good sixth place, which allowed Ascoli to play promotion playoffs, where it was defeated by Torino Calcio.
On 17 December 2006, after a 3–1 away defeat to Udinese in a league match, Cagliari boss Massimo Cellino announced to have sacked Giampaolo, citing coach's loss of confidence with the team.
However, on 26 February 2007 Cellino decided to sack Franco Colomba and reinstate Giampaolo back at the Cagliari head coach position.
After having led Cagliari to avoid relegation, he was confirmed for the 2007–08, but he was sacked again on 13 November and replaced by Nedo Sonetti, leaving the rossoblu in last place with nine points (but with one match less than other teams).
[2] He was later called once again to return at the helm of the rossoblu, following the dismissal of Sonetti, but he ultimately rejected the offer, citing his unwillingness to do so.
He successively rescinded his contract with Cagliari, and in June 2008 was announced head coach of Siena for the 2008–09 season, who was dismissed on 29 October 2009.
[5] He left Brescia by mutual consent on 25 September 2013 after having stated his intention to quit the club following a heated home loss to Crotone and Giampaolo's disappearance for three days (which also led to assistant coach Fabio Micarelli and technical consultant Luigi Maifredi fulfilling his role for a single league game against Carpi) after confronting with the club supporters.