Perugia loses in Cesena and now awaits the play-offs
by Gianluca Drusian
The Cesena trip wasn’t supposed to give away anything or propose anything that wasn’t already known. Indeed, Dino Manuzzi of Cesena has given a final verdict: Perugia, after first place, second place, third place, has also lost the possibility of being the best among the fourth in the standings of the three C groups. Not that this is of vital importance but, thus, just to note that, what the boys from Formisano did, was a path that can only be said to be less than worthy of a continuation until 2027.
Presenting themselves on the pitch with at least six “starters” remaining at home, the eleven coached by Formisano, who had just recently renewed his contract, played as a sparring partner in an evening which only saw them act as a catwalk for a newly promoted Serie B team, Cesena, who richly deserved the championship victory.
There was no match on the pitch, like in the first leg when coach Formisano and the team lost despite the presence of many of the then starters.
On the first occasion, in the 17th minute of the game, Cesena broke the deadlock with Prestia heading a corner kick and in the 35th minute with Corazzi they nailed it at two nil despite a very generous penalty blown by Prato’s whistle due to a foul by Bartolomei in the area.
After that, from Perugia, absolutely nothing. Players turned off, turning the ball around without taking the ball just beyond the opponent’s three-quarters and bringing all the young players available onto the pitch almost as if it were a match for the students or very young players tournament from Castel del Piano or Pietrafitta or San Marco.
From now on there will only be room and head for the play-offs, as long as the players want to unless they can’t wait to disappear as soon as possible from this environment, society and city.
The end of the championship which, for Perugia, will perhaps begin on the 7th of May, a home round against once again a team from our group among those who will emerge victorious in the matches between Gubbio-Rimini, Pescara-Pontedera and Juve NG-Arezzo.
But the play-offs themselves will not be able to divert attention to what is happening around Pian di Massiano’s club even if, in all likelihood, nothing will happen.
The sale or purchase of the same, depending on the contractual part from which one looks, will most likely not have any shock in the short term as already hinted by the directly interested entrepreneur Claudio Sciurpa at the end of the meeting with the president Santopadre.
The phrase from the Perugian entrepreneur himself: “I thought it would rain, sometimes it would hail”, left open various interpretations on the real possibility of negotiation.
And so, after the contract renewal of a novice coach which shows that the company has no intention of selling because, in all likelihood, it has neither need nor need to sell (could it really be like that?), the Grifoni’s future remains tied to the choices and fortunes of President Santopadre.
Whether it’s another year or maybe more in Serie C or, at worst, we have to start again from further down.
PROMOTED: Adamonis
FAILED: all good, very good indeed (encouragement for the play-offs)
