The Tuesday Calcio Wrap-Up #15 🇮🇹⚽️: Serie A is complete, managerial changes and Serie C fun...
Welcome to this week's wrap-up, where I give my thoughts on all the ups, downs and round and rounds from a weekend of Calcio fun.
After the Serie A season ended in dramatic fashion, you probably thought that calcio stops there. But remember, it never stops. Calcio is permanent, after all. So, despite the season ending, we’re back with another Tuesday Calcio Wrap-Up. The Serie B play-offs and Serie C play-offs are still ongoing, meaning we have only just found out who is making up the last available place in the top division. We still don’t know who is going down, though, due to the fiasco around Brescia’s financials. Now, let’s tuck into this week’s Wrap-Up…
It’s final: the 25/26 Serie A line-up is complete…
When the Serie A concluded, we were left with a spare space. Monza, Venezia and Empoli were all relegated and we’d found out weeks ago that Pisa and Sassuolo would be coming up. The play-offs began, and for the avid calcio lover, they were fantastic. The final ended up being a two-legged battle between Cremonese and Spezia. And you’d not have been blamed for having Spezia down as favourites. They had been good over the course of the season, with special thanks to a firing Francesco Pio Esposito. However, after a 0-0 draw in the first leg, the second leg exploded. Spezia, who were at home, found themselves 0-3 down with 11 minutes of normal time left. Two goals in two minutes had Spezia believing again. If they managed to get an equaliser, they’d have been promoted on the basis that they finished higher in the league. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be and we saw Cremonese take the victory. Giovanni Stroppa’s men will be playing top flight football next season, although the coach didn’t want to entertain questions about his planning and instead expressed his want to go out, drink and celebrate.
What in the managerial merry-go-round…?
Antonio Conte is staying. Max Allergi has joined Milan. Maurizio Sarri is back at Lazio. Raffaelle Palladino resigned. Juventus have no-one. Gian Piero Gasperini has left Atalanta. Roma are looking for Claudio Ranieri’s successor. Simone Inzaghi may or may not be off to Saudi Arabia.
Safe to say, it’s all going on. This means that next season, we will have an entirely different looking managerial landscape for the top 10, with new managers left, right and centre. And I must say - it’s incredibly exciting. One thing I do love, though, is that Maurizio Sarri is back and Antonio Conte is staying. The 24/25 season has only just finished but remember: calcio never stops. And I can’t wait for next year…
Brescia relegated, Sampadoria handed a lifeline and will it be Pescara in Serie B?
Remember the fiasco that occurred almost immediately after Sampdoria’s relegation? Brescia were docked four points and relegated themselves, which meant a lifeline was handed to Sampdoria in the form of a play-out against Salernitana. Well, the appeal is still ongoing but Brescia are at risk of losing their professional status if the finances aren’t sorted before a 6th June deadline. Takeover talks continue but it’s not looking good. With this, the play-out is still up in the air and we don’t know where, who or when it’ll be.
Away from this chaotic relegation saga, Pescara beat Ternana 1-0 in the 1st leg of the Serie C promotion play-offs, with the second leg being played on 7th June. Once that game concludes, we will then have the promoted teams into Serie B confirmed for next season. Ternana were reduced to 10-men in the 12th minute and held on until Gaetano Letizia put Pescara 0-1 up in the second half.