Today’s edition of “Il Giornale di Sicilia” focuses on Palermo in Bolzano for the last match of the championship and analyzes the end of seasons in the recent history of the rosanero.
The last championship match is always a crucial moment, which sometimes represents a simple goodbye to the following season, while on other occasions it marks the epilogue of happy or unhappy verdicts. For Palermo, this scenario has been no different, with a mix of successes and disappointments over the last forty years. Results were often determined by small details or mistakes made in previous matches.
One of the most recent episodes, and still fresh in the fans’ memory, is the failure to qualify for the playoffs twelve months ago, when Brunori’s team failed to maintain a two-goal lead against Brescia, ending up suffering a comeback and finishing the championship in ninth place, amidst the boos at the Barbera Stadium. Had they maintained their lead, Palermo would have finished in seventh place, but the result favored Reggina and Venezia instead. However, the club still gave priority to safety, which was achieved early, confirming Eugenio Corini on the bench, given that the team was a freshman.
Retracing the history of end-of-season disappointments, we also find the episode of 1989, when Palermo, playing on the neutral ground of Trapani due to the renovation works of the La Favorita stadium for the 1990 World Cup, failed to beat league leaders Foggia , drawing 1-1 and thus missing promotion to Serie B.
Three years later, in 1992, another psychodrama hit the team, this time in Serie B: despite the 1-0 victory against Lucchese on the last day, Palermo were relegated to Serie C-1 due to the unfavorable ranking compared to Venice, Taranto and Casertana, all at 35 points.
In 2014, the rosanero had already achieved their main objective, but the 0-0 draw against Crotone on the final day was enough to set the record for points in Serie B (86). Two years later, in Serie A, Palermo managed to save themselves at the last minute by beating Verona 3-2, while Carpi were relegated despite having won in Udine.
However, relegation still came a year later, in 2017. In 2018, despite a 2-0 victory against Salernitana on the last matchday, Palermo failed to achieve direct promotion, overtaken by Parma in the three-way race which included also Frosinone. The latter would then beat Palermo in the playoff final, in another episode that the fans will remember with bitterness.
In conclusion, the last day of the championship has always been a lottery for Palermosometimes favorable and sometimes marked by disappointments, but the club has always tried to face these challenges with determination, in the hope of better results in the future.
