Serie D Calabrian derby time in group I, the play off match on Sunday 12 May between Vibonese and LFA Reggio Calabria pits the teams that ended the season placing respectively at2nd and 3rd place. A small consolation for Calabria who will lose four teams in this tournament, Lamezia Terme Fc for collection, Gioiese and Castrovillari directly relegated awaiting Sunday’s play-out match between San Luca and Locri.
A completely different path, however, for the Vibonese and LFA Reggio Calabriapositive protagonists who, through ups and downs, they hindered the two teams (Trapani and Syracuse ed.) cwho initially declared themselves projected towards final victory. We talked about it with the general director of Vibonese, Antonello Gagliardi.
Director, analyzing the ranking, in the regional football disaster, only Vibonese and LFA Reggio Calabria emerge…
«Alas, yes for Calabrian football – he states -. It’s sad to see teams like Gioiese, Castrovillari, San Luca, Locri at the bottom of the table. We, on the other hand, are satisfied, we have had an absolutely positive season so far in the regular season with a series of broken records. For example, the seven consecutive victories in the championship. We had 17 goalscorers, achieving 10 away wins, 6 consecutive home wins, 16 games in which we didn’t concede a goal. We also equaled the records of Vibonese itself achieved in the very important season, that of 2017-2018, equalizing the 67 goals obtained and the 22 victories. We must certainly be satisfied with what this team did, faced with two battleships like Trapani and Siracusa, clubs that had started the championship by openly declaring themselves as aspiring winners.”
Playing with numbers, the home match lost against Siracusa has, in a certain sense, affected the ranking. Assuming your victory, the points would have been 75 for both of you but above all it would have sent you directly to the play off final. How much did this defeat weigh?
«It was an absurd defeat that came in the last minutes after a match that we had led on equal terms. Let’s say it didn’t have a huge impact because in the end the boys didn’t suffer that match as they suffered, I must say, in the home match against Trapani (23rd round, 2-5 ed.). A good blow – says Gagliardi – it took a few days to recover because, among other things, we had played a great first half. Then the experience of an older team like Trapani came out. In the December market our Vibonese went from an average of 22 years to 23.7. During the repair phase we added some overs like Favetta, Terranova and other guys who raised the average a little. Against Trapani they played two under who played a large fraction, obviously then they had no more fuel. With Trapani, yes, it had an impact. Regarding the defeat against Siracusa, for the statistics, for the numbers, the probabilities, a different result could have made us face these play offs in a different way. The boys were focused, they didn’t give up, in short it had a little less impact. The defeat against Trapani, on the other hand, was, let’s say, a negative turning point, we could have come close to Siracusa if not even surpassed them.”
Sunday the derby with Lfa Reggio Calabria…
«All in all it’s a nice epilogue too. Two Calabrians, one with a certainly more brilliant history, greater than that of Vibonese, who face each other in this exciting final phase. Just think that this morning – says the general director of Vibonese -, after having opened the presale only yesterday, over 200 tickets had already been sold in Reggio Calabria. We will definitely have a completely full stadium. The boys are excited, even though we are at the end of the season and so perhaps they can feel the burden of the work done all year. But when there is a full stadium they get excited and I’m sure they will give 100%.”
Before saying goodbye, can you tell us what Pippo Caffo is like as president?
«He is a great president, no one can argue with him. He made the history of Vibonese, through ups and downs, we just have to say thank you, the rossoblù people just have to thank him for what he has done up to now. I sensed, however, that now a little tiredness is emerging, he would need more support. This year we have tried to broaden the social structure, to give them more help, probably something more needs to be done. We will take stock at the end of the championship and with a Board of Directors we will make decisions for the future. However, until today, he has proven to be a great football fan, a great fan of the red and blue colors of Vibonese, supporting the load for many years, even alone, which is not easy because the D series costs more than the C series, you just have to thank him.”
