Enter ours Telegram channel!
Receive all the news in real time directly on your smartphone!
Catanzaro was undoubtedly among the biggest surprises of the recently concluded Serie B. The team led by mister Vincenzo Vivarini ended the year in fifth place with 60 points: the final score saw 17 wins, 9 draws and 12 defeats. The Giallorossi finished the year ahead of teams well ahead of the predictions that began, those drawn up by experts according to an online odds comparator and by cross-referencing the statistical data. The Calabrians have gone from the role of newly promoted to that of candidate for the third slot to move up to Serie A, finishing ahead of much more solid teams (at least on paper) such as Palermo, Sampdoria and Brescia. The fairy tale then ended at the most beautiful moment, in the playoff semi-finals. In the first leg in Calabria, the hosts managed to finish with a score of 2-2 against Cremonese, keeping the door open for the final. However, the grey-reds had two results out of three available in the return to the Zini stadium, as well as a qualitatively better squad, closing the match with a 4-1 final score.
The 2023/2024 season started excellently, with three victories in the first three seasonal outings, but the Giallorossi team emerged diminished in the match against Parma, losing 5 to 0. Afterwards there were many ups and downs, but understandable given that of a newly promoted player. There was no shortage of prestigious victories such as the 2-1 against Sampdoria in the Luigi Ferraris stadium in Genoa, the same result also arrived against Palermo, again away (at the Renzo Barbera). The successes against Parma (in the second round) and Venezia are also crucial from a ranking perspective, as well as the draw with Cremonese, faced on 20 April, still during the regular season.
Despite an epilogue that leaves a bad taste in the mouth, Catanzaro’s season was undoubtedly exceptional. The main architect was Vivarini, author of the promotion from Serie C and before that from Serie D. Among the most important players in the squad, Pietro Iemmello undoubtedly shone, scoring 15 goals in the championship, followed closely by Tommaso Biasci, also in double figures (10 centres). Certainly worth mentioning is Jari Vandeputte, a Belgian winger capable of producing 14 assists in the season, as well as 9 goals, in 36 season appearances.
Added to a high-level squad is the crucial role of Vivarini, the perfect conductor of the Calabrian machine. The coach boasts a very high average of points, 1.96 per game, and is tied to the Giallorossi bench for at least another year. However, half of Serie B, and not only that, has turned the spotlight on him and it is not certain that he will refuse, on the contrary. Among those who show the most interest is Venezia, about to part ways with coach Paolo Vanoli, coach of Venezia and increasingly close to the Turin bench. Cagliari also appears interested, with the Sardinians looking around to replace Claudio Ranieri, who has decided to say goodbye to football after reaching safety with the rossoblu. What is certain is that Catanzaro will have to resolve this issue as soon as possible, to initiate what could be the moves in terms of the transfer market. Giuseppe Magalini, sporting director linked with ever greater insistence to Bari, also appears destined for farewell.
