When it comes to the market conducted by Sabatini , the director’s “regardless” admirers cling to the alibi of the available budget. Of course, twice the DG had to operate in full emergency, with a Salernitana last and little time available. Let it be clear, there is no question of the value and competence of a professional who has written important pages in the recent history of football and who, in 2022, was among the architects of one of the most beautiful sporting feats ever.
However, we must also separate the emotional component from the purely technical one and analyze the facts objectively without being influenced by likes and dislikes. Something that has caused incalculable damage in this season which started badly and ended worse also due to the fault of the “go to sea” party which, without argument, repeated the catchphrase of the “Romans”.
Speaking of the Romans and the reduced budget, let’s remember that the much critical Fabiani – in the summer of 2021 – had to work in very difficult conditions, with the date of 31-12 representing an apparently insurmountable obstacle and a market strongly conditioned by the limited finances available and the endorsement of a former General and of those trustees who they continuously monitored budgets, income and expenses.
Yet, that director was remembered by someone for some wrong purchases and not for having brought people like Gabionetta and Di Napoli to C (with three championships won and an Italian cup), he ensured the performances of Ranieri, Ruggeri, Zortea and Strandberg. A defensive quartet superior to the one we saw at work in the following two seasons. After all, Gyomber is one of the few to survive in this disastrous context and is a legacy of the old management, when he was taken from relegated Perugia amid general skepticism.
And the various Obi, Kastanos, Lassana Coulibaly, Bonazzoli and Ribery always arrived at zero, without forgetting that Simy was also the object of desire of prestigious teams such as Fiorentina and that he was reduced by 40 goals scored in two years. Who, among the potentially dangerous ones, wouldn’t have taken it? Translated: having little money available does not necessarily mean being condemned to a bad market and a general downsizing.
Verona is the clear example, where the sporting director has created a managerial and technical masterpiece, contributing to the Scaligeri’s rise in the standings. Before Sabatini’s arrival, Salernitana won at the Bentegodi and was just two points behind the Scaligeri. Today, however, there are 13 points of difference, yet the yellow and blue have lost eleven potential starters by relying on mostly unknown people from foreign leagues.
Almost all, however, purchased and owned. Therefore undoubtedly more motivated than the various Gomis, Boateng, Weismann, Zanoli and Pellegrino who, as is known, will say goodbye to the company without regrets and who, as of today, are looking around in search of a destination. And if you really have little money to spend, is it worth guaranteeing a salary of over 1.3 million euros to two central defenders who have been out of action for a long time and are suffering from some muscular problem?
There was a clear difference in the management of the coaches. In Verona Baroni (who, it must be said, has never complained about anything) was protected even when, for two and a half months, he didn’t win a match. Who, after the internal defeat against Salernitana, would not have fired the coach? Sogliano, on the other hand, has always made his esteem, trust and desire to complete the season together for better or for worse shine through in his statements.
Here, however, Sabatini weakened Inzaghi on the eve of a very delicate match, after a prestigious equalizer at Arechi and without putting him in a position to work at his best for his own admission. Replacing him, among other things, with a Liverani who will be remembered as one of the worst coaches to have passed through Salerno in recent times.
In conclusion: we are convinced that strong teams are built with good players. And top-level footballers cost money. Algorithms and bets belong to the past and serve as lessons for the future. The company, -2 from salvation, could have recapitalized immediately to avoid running into the obstacle of the liquidity ratio. However, the Salernitana of the fiduciary semester and the Verona of Sogliano (in addition to the Lecce of Corvino) make it clear that the result can be achieved even without spending crazy sums. The right balance between ambition, financial sustainability and concrete investments is really worth it.
Beyond the discussion related to the budget and the liquidity index, therefore, the general manager committed a series of errors of evaluation by adding players to the staff at the end of their careers, not ready from a physical point of view or who were reserves in championships certainly not of the highest level.
Zanoli gave nothing, Pasalidis and Pellegrino immediately disappeared from the radar revealing limitations, Weismann he was at the level of the other attackers available to Colantuono, Gomis and Vignato, mysterious objects, Boateng had the opportunity to sign a contract worth 700 thousand euros and spent more time in the infirmary than on the pitch like Manolas. A disaster, in short, without forgetting the choice to entrust three accessible matches against Udinese, Cagliari and Lecce to Fabio Liverani
