We are now there and Roberto D’Aversa will be Empoli’s coach for the 2024/25 season. With the start of the retreat his energies will be concentrated solely and totally on the salvation of the Azzurri. As an opponent there were six meetings between the German-born coach and our team. The scoreboard is in total balance, in fact D’Aversa has won twice, lost twice and on two occasions the X sign arrived.
Empoli had their first meeting with D’Aversa in September 2017, in Serie B. Parma-Empoli was played at the “Tardini” with the Azzurri coached by Vincenzo Vivarini. Empoli won 2-1 with an advantage from Caputo, a momentary equalizer from Lucarelli and then the winning goal from Simic. During that season the second confrontation. In the return round, but with Andreazzoli on our bench, the Azzurri beat D’Aversa’s Parma 4-0; the goals came from a brace from Donnarumma, Caputo and Maietta in injury time. The two teams rose to Serie A together.
With D’Aversa confirmed in Parma, Empoli found themselves challenging the current coach twice in the 18/19 season, in Serie A. In September 2018, D’Aversa’s Crusader team prevailed and, in home, narrowly beat us thanks to a goal from Gervinho. In the return to Empoli, with Beppe Iachini coaching the Azzurri, the match ended with a pyrotechnic 3-3 achieved by us in added time. Gervinho opened the scoring, with Dell’Orco equalizing after three minutes. At the end of the first half, however, the new Emilian lead came with Rigoni. The second half opens with the second blue equalizer scored by Caputo on a penalty, in the 82nd minute however Alves brings D’Aversa’s team back ahead but in the 91st minute an own goal by Alves himself sends Castellani into raptures.
The fourth challenge arrives in the 2021/22 Serie A, with D’Aversa coaching Sampdoria. Andreazzoli on our bench. Clear victory for Sampdoria thanks to a brace from Caputo as a former player and from Candreva. The return match no longer sees D’Aversa coaching Samp. The last match dates back to the first leg against Lecce in the last Serie A season, the match ended 1-1 with Banda’s advantage for the Giallorossi and Empoli’s draw thanks to Rafia’s own goal.
