Sebastiano Desplanches takes Palermo. Or rather, Mignani entrusted it to him with a somewhat surprising decision. After being on the bench for so long, his moment came in the last home match of the championship against Ascoli and will most likely continue for the remaining matches until the end of the season, which hopefully will be more than one.
In truth, coach Mignani – who nevertheless praised the young goalkeeper – has always spoken of an open ballot (e.g keep doing it) he will hardly be able to backtrack now. Not fielding him at Sudtirol would be equivalent to an undeserved failure.
The reason for the choice is open to different interpretations. Certainly the Rosanero environment had “pointed” at Pigliacelli, attributing faults to him that objectively he did not have. In short, after Corini’s farewell, loudly invoked, the protest seemed to be aimed above all at him. In some situations, perhaps, the goalkeeper was not adequately reactive or explosive but he was never the main responsible for a defeat or a draw.
Pigliacelli’s only blue pencil error remains that of last season against Sudtirol (his clearance crashed into an opponent), this year he has been challenged by some opponents’ markings which can be discussed: the latest in chronological order is the lack of explosiveness in the goal from a free kick by Portanova in Palermo – Reggiana, a non-angled shot and more than saveable for a goalkeeper of his caliber.
Mignani took his risks, according to some, wanting to accommodate the discontent of the square. And so he gave up the experience of the owner and relied on the enthusiasm of the young goalkeeper who in any case is not the latest arrival. Desplanches grew up in Milan’s youth team and before Palermo he had a brief experience in Trento (10 appearances). He is known nationally and internationally for his performances with the blue shirt. With Italy U20 he reached the final of the World Cup in the summer of 2023, winning the title of best goalkeeper, immediately after that tournament he became the permanent starter of the U21 selection.
Desplanches’ debut, against Ascoli, was more than enough: someone would like to attribute some small responsibility to him for Caligara’s first goal but he sent the ball into the top corner from a short distance: saving it would have been a miracle. Desplanches, however, stood out for some good saves and didn’t seem shy at all in his exits. Obviously one race is too little to make a judgement. At the very least, the goalkeeper was able to enjoy the maximum support of the public who immediately took the goalkeeper’s cause to heart.
But Mignani’s decision brings to mind another rotation in goal at the end of the championship. It is impossible not to notice the parallels between the path of Desplanches and that of Samuele Massolo, the goalkeeper who became Palermo’s “hero” for some sensational saves during the two-year Serie C playoffs, with Silvio Baldini on the bench.
Fielding Massolo as starter initially seemed like an emergency choice to deal with the forced absence of starter Pelagotti, who was struggling with a delicate operation to remove his thoracic tumor. Massolo had also had the opportunity to make some sporadic appearances but in the imagination of the fans he was always “the reserve goalkeeper”.
Fate, however, wanted to reward him, making Massolo (this year in Serie C at Vicenza, still play-off) one of the great protagonists of the triumphal ride together with Brunori, Marconi, Soleri and the others. Now an at least similar situation seems to arise again. And in football, superstition counts, of course it does.
