The VAR organization which enters the scene in the Serie C playoffs – to designate who will go up to Serie B together with Cesena, Mantova and Juve Stabia among the 28 teams in contention – held court yesterday morning (Saturday 4 May) at the stadium ” Barbetti” where the preparations were finalised. Everything will be ready for the match on Tuesday at 8.30pm against Rimini, which Gubbio is preparing to face by being able to take advantage of the ranking factor, given that in the event of a draw with or without goals in the 90th minute they will be able to assert their best position (fifth place compared to one tenth of the Romagna population).
Piero Braglia doesn’t want calculations but it’s clear that the attitude will remain to be seen, between the temptation to focus on the matter so as not to lose or play exclusively to win as if there were no tomorrow. The will is to play the game as always, without any conditioning. The two teams find themselves in close proximity, after closing the regular season last Sunday at the Barbetti with the rossoblù poker punctuated by goals from Chierico, Udoh, Di Massimo and Galeandro on penalties. The seasonal balance promises the fourth match, after Gubbio’s 2-1 in the first leg thanks to Di Massimo and Udoh who were decisive on 22 December 2023, after the elimination from the Italian Cup at Neri due to Morra’s blow in full injury time on 5 October . The red and white coach Antonio Troise will play with all the cards at his disposal, starting with the twenty-nine year old striker Claudio Morra who boasts 19 goals and 3 assists in 34 appearances and the twenty four year old playmaker Davide Lamesta who has 9 goals and 13 assists in 37 matches, both absent in Gubbio last Sunday due to disqualification. The eve at the rossoblù house is also characterized by the rumors arriving on the sporting director Davide Mignemi who, although under contract for next season too, has ended up in Ancona’s sights, and on the coach Braglia who (also tied until 2025) Livorno in Serie D, whose owner is the ambitious Brazilian financier Joel Esciua, likes him.
Gubbio doesn’t think about chatter to concentrate on what awaits them, facing the play-offs from the same fifth position as last season, even with two points less, achieved through 16 wins, 11 draws and 10 defeats like a year ago, with the same number of goals scored (50) and 38 conceded (against 34). Last year the rossoblù reached the first national round of the playoffs, eliminated by Virtus Entella who won the return match in Chiavari 3-1 after losing 2-0 at the Barbetti, claiming the best placing in the championship. Now we start again with the established dates: the first round in the group on Tuesday, the second round next Saturday, then the national phase with the first round on 14 and 18 May, second round on 21 and 25 May. To close the final four: semi-finals May 28th and June 2nd, promotion final on June 5th and 9th.
