As manager After a playing career spent with several
Serie B and
Serie C1 teams, most notably
Palermo and
Padova, he moved into coaching, working as
Zdeněk Zeman's assistant for six years (even following him at
Fenerbahçe) before becoming a head coach himself. In 2004, he worked for
Serie D team
Cosenza with little fortune; he then worked for
Serie C2 teams
Melfi in 2006 and
Celano the following year, leading the latter to an impressive season and a spot in the promotion playoffs. He agreed a one-year extension to his contract with
Celano in July 2010. He left the club at the end of the 2010–11 season, the club citing excessive wage demands as the main reason behind the decision. On 17 January 2012 he was appointed new head coach of last-placed
Lega Pro Seconda Divisione club
Lecco in place of dismissed predecessor Maurizio Pellegrino. He avoided direct relegation but eventually failed to keep the club into professionalism after losing a playoff to
Mantova, and left the club by the end of the season to reunite with Zdeněk Zeman at
Roma, where he worked as technical collaborator for the 2012–13 season. After Zeman's dismissal as head coach, he left Roma too, and re-joined his mentor in July 2014 as technical collaborator of
Cagliari. In April 2016 he was named as new head coach of
Lega Pro club
L'Aquila in place of
Carlo Perrone, only to be dismissed himself after less than a month in charge. On 1 September 2016, Modica was announced as the new head coach of hometown club
Mazara, in what was his first time with the club from his native city, as well as his first time in charge of a club in
Eccellenza (second-highest level of amateur football in Italy). He successively served as head coach of
Serie D club
Messina in the 2017–18 season. He left Messina for
Cavese (Serie D, soon to be readmitted to Serie C to fill vacancies) for the 2018–19 campaign, guiding the club to a mid-table placement in the league, then leaving the club by mutual consent by the end of the season. On 13 July 2019, he was unveiled as head coach of Serie C club
Vibonese. On 3 July 2020, he was hired again by
Cavese. On 11 November 2020, he resigned from Cavese following a bad start for the season, with the club in the relegation zone. In December 2021, he was appointed new head coach of Serie D club
Casale. He resigned from his position on 27 February 2022, after achieving only ten points in his eight games in charge. On 23 July 2022, Modica agreed to return to
Vibonese following the club's relegation to Serie D. On 8 July 2023, Modica was appointed as the new head coach of
Messina in the
Serie C league. After saving the club from relegation and being confirmed in charge of Messina for the following season, Modica resigned on 20 January 2025 following a club takeover, leaving Messina in third-last place in the league table. On 1 June 2025, Modica was unveiled as the new head coach of
Maltese Premier League champions
Ħamrun Spartans. In his first games in charge, Modica guided his club to eliminate
Žalgiris in the first qualifying round of the
2025–26 UEFA Champions League, and eventually guide Ħamrun Spartans to become the first Maltese club ever to qualify to the group stage of a European competition after eliminating
RFS in the playoff round of the
2025–26 UEFA Conference League. ==References==