TURIN – It is now certain: Pisa will start again from Filippo Inzaghi. Already two years ago, Superpippo was one step away from the Tuscan bench. Then, the Nerazzurri club, disappointed by the defeat in the playoff final suffered by Berlusconi and Galliani’s Monza, decided to change coach, sending home Luca D’Angelo, the historic coach of the promotion to Serie B, and entrusting the bench to Rolando Maran. A choice made after a long “casting” in which Inzaghi also participated, but the final say was given to Alexander Knaster, the British entrepreneur naturalized in the United States, and the large majority shareholder of Pisa since 2021. Who knows, perhaps Pisa’s number 1 regretted that choice: two years ago Maran – far from being the coach admired in Brescia in the last championship – failed badly in Pisa, he was a fish out of water, he was sacked with the team that was at the bottom of the standings and it was necessary to urgently recall D’Angelo to straighten things out. However, evidently, Knaster was impressed by Inzaghi, whom he met in that casting, to the point of choosing him for the upcoming year. Season that will have to archive the one just ended, effectively anonymous, under the guidance of Alberto Aquilani. And Filippo Inzaghi could really be the right man because, despite never managing to establish himself in Serie A (even due to a bit of bad luck), he has truly remarkable numbers in Serie B: in fact, he has never failed a season. The last one, two years ago, at Reggina: despite the club’s major economic problems, which led to heavy penalties for the club – later excluded from professional football – Inzaghi still managed to take it to the playoffs. Not only. Until the problems came to light, the team was fighting for direct promotion because it played great matches. For example, at the Granillo he put Genoa under the battleship, later promoted to Serie A. In the previous experiences of Serie B, Inzaghi brought Benevento to Serie A to the sound of records, in 2021 (promotion which had a single, big flaw: squeezing a little the senators of the team, who then reached Serie A as a result, were too many. The following year, he wasn’t doing badly with Brescia but suffered a “dispute” with Cellino, who blamed him for too many home defeats and who sacked him even though Brescia were in the top positions (but whoever replaced him – Eugenio Corini – actually didn’t made the team make the expected leap in quality). But perhaps the time that Inzaghi made the most difference, that he had the greatest impact as a coach, was on his debut in the category, when he took Venezia – which at the time had rather limited technical means – to 5th place and into the semi-finals. playoffs. And Inzaghi had taken that Venezia in Serie C the season before, with a gesture of great humility, after having made his debut as a coach at Milan: result, lagoon players promoted, dominating the championship and winning the Serie C Italian Cup. However, the question is: Inzaghi, what more can he give to this Pisa? Alberto Aquilani’s lackluster championship said that in any case the team at most could have made the playoffs and not even in a privileged position. Therefore, decisive and important purchases are needed. But also a better valorisation of what is already good. For example, someone like Alessandro Arena, a talented playmaker signed a year ago from Pisa in C, in Gubbio, would certainly have deserved more space. On August 3rd, Arena will celebrate 24 years, he could be the right age to establish himself. At market level, in all likelihood, the playmaker-halfback Miguel Veloso will have to say goodbye, as his contract expires, there doesn’t seem to be room for him: he is 38 years old, an amazing career behind him but there are no signs of a contract renewal, also because its contribution in the past year was reduced. Then, the valorization of the full-back Tommaso Barbieri, counter-redeemed by Juve for 3.1 million, brought a decent nest egg that can be reinvested on the market where Pisa is registered for the auction to have Massimo Coda, the main striker of Serie B, 69 goals in the last 4 championships and perhaps what Knaster-branded Pisa has missed most is their offensive weight. Filippo Inzaghi could take care of the rest. The story that is intertwined with his brother Simone is curious: as players, Pippo seemed to be from another category and Simone a supporting player in football. As coaches, the roles seem to have been reversed, with Simone, still at the beginning of his career and yet already full of glory, while Superpippo, in order to win something, seems condemned to chewing only the hard bread of Serie B. Yet, in every square of the second series where is called up, he manages to arouse a unique enthusiasm because the fans love his way of giving everything to the cause. And Pisa would need a leader like him to revive a team and a place that perhaps only lacks the right handle to chase the Serie A that has been missing in these parts since 1991.
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