Two games to play for everything, one hundred and eighty minutes without extra time or penalties to decide who will remain in Serie C and who will return to the Amateurs. After two direct saves, Fiorenzuola finds itself facing the play outs which will put it in front of a black beast – if not very black – on Sunday 12th and 19th May (kick-off set for 6pm).
Facing the Rossoneri is a Novara team that has always beaten Fiorenzuola between the summer friendly, the championship and the Italian Cup, scoring (not considering the daring 6-1 in the friendly match) seven goals and conceding three, including two in the Italian Cup match that the Rossoneri had opened at its best with Omoregbe’s brace.
A double challenge with the Piedmontese having two useful results out of three and the return to Piola.
«Within the teams that could compete in the play outs – comments president Luigi Pinalli – there were certainly more affordable teams for Fiorenzuola: I’m thinking of Arzignano and Pro Sesto, we took the worst. The last one of the championship? We know very well that we have young players who are not used to this context, if we had ended the first half 0-0 we would have had a better chance.” The Rossoneri president then returns to the double change on the bench. «Already before the January transfer window we as a club did everything we could: Turrini did a great job reuniting the dressing room then the opportunity arose to have Tabbiani back with us who already knew the environment and who allowed us to bring to home twenty-four points.”
Twenty-four points which, however, did not allow us to obtain the third direct salvation despite the six consecutive useful results achieved at the beginning of 2024, which coincided precisely with the return of Tabbiani and followed the entry into the squad of experienced elements such as Mora in midfield, Bocic and D’Amico on the outside.
«The company certainly didn’t hold back – explains DS Marco Bernardi – doing everything that was possible and appropriate: from this point of view there can be no regrets. I believe that the play-outs represent something in themselves: there is a lot of play, in an important climate in terms of audiences and emotional tension. It will be important to play a good game right away.”
Returning to the latest and at the same time future opponents, the Rossoneri Sporting Director retraces the path of the Piedmontese team after the halfway point.
«Novara scored twenty-eight points in the second round: I would particularly highlight the nineteen draws, so they are a rather difficult team to beat. I expect a tough match against them: it’s unlikely to be a lively match given what’s at stake but we’ll have to be good at exploiting possible episodes in our favor.”
Without considering those who ended the season early – and therefore Nava, Gonzi and Di Quinzio – Fiorenzuola should arrive on Sunday with almost all the cards available. A large influx is expected in the stands of Pavesi considering that as of Wednesday afternoon, seven hundred and fifty tickets have already been sold.
«We are training well: the week off was useful for us to work more on the physical aspect and to detach ourselves from the finished championship, I am happy with the approach – concludes Bernardi – Reali? He went out in the last match, his recovery for Sunday will be difficult.”
