MESSINA – Messina’s season officially ended on Saturday evening in Monopoli. Defeated 2-1 in the last match of the year, there will be no sequel this year: not the playouts, to the great satisfaction of all the fans, but not even the playoffs, which were even close. Commenting on an irrelevant match, where with nothing now up for grabs and with Mr. Modica giving space to those who had less, it doesn’t make much sense. The pitch spoke in the other days that led to the achievement of 45 points, no team in the three years of president Sciotto’s management in Serie C had ever done better.
While two managers announce that they will leave the Strait to a national newspaper, the company makes it known that “the club’s members will speak only through official channels” and Mr. Modica did not comment on the challenge, also avoiding further questions about his future, in the press room of “Vito Simone Veneziani”. But now it’s time to make choices and above all to communicate them.
President Sciotto, who has remained silent until now, was banned on January 16th. The document spoke of three months which we imagine started from the date of publication of the communication. So if things were like this he would have been able to speak and comment on the salvation achieved as early as April 17th and, why not, thank and congratulate the staff and players for the result achieved. Knowing him as a man of few words in public he will have wanted to wait until the end of the season and in order not to risk further in the League let’s also grant him release from the ban for the month of May, the fact is that next week it will be time to talk, make choices, clarify different situations.
Who does Messina start again from?
There are few certainties regarding next season: 5, the number of players still under contract. They have signed with Messina for 2024/2025: Marco Manetta, Giuseppe Salvo, Giulio Frisenna, Domenico Franco and Michele Emmausso. On them, unless they are sold in the summer transfer window, Messina will have to start again. Among them it seemed there was also Carlo Cavallo, but in reality the player would be free because his contract included an option and not an expiration of June 2025.
It is clear that this being the case, Messina is preparing for a new revolution, five players are not making the team and many of those in the squad until June were on loan and will most likely return to their respective clubs. An obvious fact admitted in a somewhat disconsolate way last week by Mister Giacomo Modica, guest on the show Counterattack.
The Modica issue goes beyond the bench
Sciotto’s first public communication must come from the coach himself, the Mazara del Vallo coach actually made it clear in the latest press conferences that not even in private was there any talk of a possible renewal with the president. However, the coach sent a clear message: if I stay I will do so under certain conditions. In this sense we are talking about a field where to train and given the situation that has been experienced for years in Messina, if Sciotto had the will to continue with this coach he would have to negotiate a better agreement with the administration who should prove available.
The stay or departure of Giacomo Modica is the starting point that is not insignificant because surely together with the coach the sporting director Domenico Roma would also remain or leave. If the two remained in Messina it would mean that it could be easier to recall some players who wore the Messina shirt, convincing them and their respective clubs, perhaps to go on loan again, if there was no possibility of buying their cards.
The youth sector
From this point of view, however, Messina would always remain hostage to their loans and almost always forced to write everything off at the end of the season. If the club finally got around to planning, it could think about developing players in its own academy. Giuseppe Salvo and Giulio Frisenna have both been important this season and are two excellent examples of how good footballers can be found in our areas.
The Peloritana society should try to work in this direction and grow its talents at home instead of always having them come from outside. During the season several spring players trained in groups, some were even called up most recently Adragna and Di Bella has more than one bench this season, while one has even made his debut: Jacopo Fumagalli.
Messina this year relied on the Camaro by exploiting players, partly the technical staff and above all the pitch, we don’t have thermometers that tell us if the coexistence went well and if it can continue, because with this club and in this city nothing is discounted. Of course it would be important not to underestimate the fact of having a good youth sector that brings you alternatives and new first team players at no cost, in other places this already happens with good results.
