A brief parenthesis in Sannio, last unfortunate season, culminated in his resignation. After Benevento, Roberto Stellone waited for the right opportunity and he got back into the game, starting again, three years after the last time (in 2021 in Arezzo), from Serie C. Last March, the Roman coach took the reins of Vis Pesaro, taking over from Simone Banchieri and collecting 6 points in 4 games. In the playout lottery he then managed to maintain the category, sending Recanatese to D.
In 6 games he saved Vis Pesaro. Why the choice to start from a less well-known reality?
«They were looking for me few teams fighting for the playoffs, but which only gave me the opportunity to close the season, without a future discussion. In Pesaro I was convinced by the possibility of starting again from the new season, in case of salvation. I needed coaching a team from the beginning again, after taking over often in recent years. Obviously the situation wasn’t simple, I found an organized and ambitious club and a group of excellent guys. There were the conditions to do well and then, fortunately, we were saved. The club has a long-term project, I was offered a renewal for another two years and we will soon move to the new sports centre. Next year we will aim for a quiet salvation, trying to grow gradually over the years to raise the bar.”
Benevento which instead stopped in the playoff semi-final. A perhaps unexpected result after a bitter relegation?
«I was sorry that the Giallorossi went out in the semi-finals. The result, however, is important, because it is not easy to start again after a relegation from Serie B. There is the example of Spal, who struggled a lot and risked making a double leap backwards. Benevento had stalled towards the end of the first round, then with the change of coach they did well in the second half. In the championship he unfortunately found Juve Stabia in his best year.”
After a year of apprenticeship in Serie C, are the Giallorossi favorites for promotion next year?
“Absolutely yes. The season that has just ended lays excellent foundations for the following one. With Vigorito’s investments, Benevento can think of returning to the top. The president will certainly want to try to win the championship without going through the playoffs. It can be done because there is a group of good players, a good coach and an expert director. The coach and director will also evaluate the players who return from loans, perhaps someone will be able to stay and start from scratch. Then the president always invests a lot because he is ambitious, he wants to get back to the top.”
Last April he resigned after 9 games at the helm of the “Strega”. What didn’t work?
«We were off to a good start. We lost in Cagliari, but the performance was positive, then we won against Brescia. We were also unlucky, with Ascoli and Como we played with one man less; in particular the red card at Tello with Como was unfair. Unfortunately when you take over it’s never easy to change your mentality of a team. My staff and I worked as hard as we could, but we couldn’t get what we wanted. My resignation after the defeat against Spal was dictated by the fact that I wasn’t able to find the right fit.”
Benevento 2024/25 will start again from Gaetano Auteri. A reconfirmation resulting from the quality of the work done?
«More than right trust. Gaetano is an excellent coach, he knows the environment but above all he had an important return round. Providing continuity in football is a very important thing.”
Juve Stabia, Mantua and Carrarese are the surprises of the season that has just ended?
«Carrarese was certainly an unexpected winner. Everyone in the playoffs would have bet on Padova, Benevento, Vicenza or Avellino. The Tuscans overturned the predictions and also came from a change of coach. I saw the two matches against Vicenza and they absolutely deserved it, putting in great organization on the pitch. Mantua and Juve Stabia were the other two surprises, they won in two groups where the favorites were very different.”
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