Ravenna ends its beautiful season bitterly by having to leave promotion to Serie C to Carpi. It turns out to be decisive the exclusion from the Pistoiese championship with three days to go. The cancellation of all the matches played by the Tuscans with the elimination of the points already won on the pitch penalizes Ravenna and benefits Carpi. Ravenna sees six points deleted, Carpi only four. Two additional points lead to the Modenese team and Carpi’s final advantage over Ravenna in the standings is also two points. Without the earthquake of sporting justice, the play-off to decide promotion would have taken place. From a sporting point of view it was consummated a clear injustice.
The Giallorossi have an extraordinary season left, which went far beyond expectations. There were no ambitions of supremacy in September when the championship started, but after a few days Ravenna it reached the top of the rankings where it remained for a very long time and until the defeat in the direct clash with Carpi with eight games to go. Also thanks to the intervention of sports justice, seven consecutive victories in the final matches were not enough for the Giallorossi to recover the deficit. Carpi achieved a monstrous exploit of 41 points in 15 games in the second round. The Giallorossi were very regular with 36 points in the first leg and the same number in the return leg. In retrospect, promotion was compromised between the 20th and 25th matchdays when Ravenna collected only six points in six games.
Gadda’s team boasts its best side in the defensive phase with numbers of absolute excellence: only 13 goals conceded and 22 games closed without conceding a goal, best defense in the Italian leagues. But she was also effective in attack, being second only to Carpi with 56 goals scored. Among the players the jewel in the crown was the striker Massimo Tirelli with 13 goals scored, 4 assists provided and 3 penalties earned. But also Adriano Esposito and Paolo Rrapaj, leaders of defense and midfield, deserve a special mention. Many other players performed above their usual standards and all made a remarkably cohesive group. Finally, we must remember the special feeling established with the fans, enthusiastic from the start of the season about the spirit shown by the team.
Now there are the playoffs, an almost platonic epilogue but one that Ravenna cares about in order to close the season in the best possible way. The semi-final, scheduled for next Sunday, will see Lentigione as the opponent.
Antonio Rinaldi
