From heaven to hell in just a year. And, of the rampant enthusiasm that exploded only twelve months ago, there is no longer the slightest trace except in people’s memories. The soccer brindisino «celebrates» the first anniversary of the last promotion in Serie C in the – perhaps – worst moment of its history, the one that transformed everyone’s dream into a nightmare with worrying implications: the city’s joy lasted too short and has given way today to the fear of yet another failure just as memories resurface lived a year ago. Blue and white memories that echo in the mind of every fan of the V shirt intent on celebrating his return to the professional ranks 33 years after his last appearance in the third series.
The thud
After 365 days, however, it now seems clear that it was only a brief and impromptu mirage. It was May 14, 2023 when at the Luigi Razza stadium in Vibo Valentia the white-blue team (coached by Ciro Danucci and captained by Simone D’Anna) beat Cavese 1-3 at the end of a heart-pounding, almost endless play-off. A match played to the limits of perfection by a Toasts hungry, excited and eager to complete the comeback that had begun a few months earlier at the expense of the Campania region. And so it was, with cynicism and absolute concentration: the goals of D’Anna, Opoola and Felleca (interspersed with the temporary 1-2 scored by Foggia ) put the icing on the cake to the triumphal ride of a group capable of not giving up, of recovering from a six-point deficit in the last three days and, therefore, of winning. Irrepressible, at the final whistle of the match director, the celebration of the people of Brindisi, protagonists of a real exodus in Calabria for the most important event in their recent history and, above all, awaited with spasmodic anxiety which resulted in a hunt to the ticket. Those who could not be present followed the final from home before pouring into the street for the first part of the celebrations, which ended after midnight with the arrival of the team at the Scalinata Virgilio. That was the pinnacle of everyone’s joy, which continued until late at night despite the raindrops and some lightning acting as a suggestive backdrop in front of the Regina Margherita seafront. Thinking back to these scenes now, all things considered, seems almost paradoxical. Brindisi, in fact, experienced this year a horror championship due to the corporate crisis and a management that was not adequate for the category and so, among defeats, disputes, administrative failures and penalties, he said goodbye to Serie C just one season after his arrival.
The vanished dream
The people’s dream, which was about to be shattered already in the summer due to the difficulties in presenting a valid guarantee when registering, has practically not even begun. After a few months, the epilogue began to take on already outlined contours until it became official even before taking the field – and winning – at the home of the more famous Crotone. A further mockery, in short, in a disastrous year. In addition to relegation, the biggest problem is represented by the risk of yet another failure, a nightmare that becomes more and more significant day after day: to guarantee a future for the partnership in via Benedetto Brin it is necessary to close the negotiations for the transfer of the club from the hands of the Arigliano family to those of potential buyers intending to give continuity to the project. Despite the discussions and the various possible paths, however, to date there is no substantial news on the road towards the closing and, indeed, a deafening silence hovers in the city. The only certaintyat present, concerns the renovation of the Fanuzzi stadium thanks to the six million allocated for the Mediterranean Gamesbut the corporate aspect remains a great unknown. One year after the promotion, the doubts take on a greater and almost surreal specific weight: if 2023 was the golden year of Brindisi football, 2024 presented itself as an annus horribilis and swept away the enthusiasm and hopes of the fans . Losing the sporting title, therefore, would be the tombstone for the shirt with the V, which went from heaven to hell in just one season.
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