If there is a club that is monopolizing the Serie C Youth Championships, it is Cesena. The Bianconeri born in 2008, one year later the triumph of Tolentino in Under 15, they are celebrating for the second consecutive season in Under 16, emulating what was already done by those born in 2007 one and two years ago. Same path, same result, with ‘Romagna Mia’ being sung by the stands and sung by the boys on the field, celebrating, smiling, champions of Italy for the second year in a row. It is also the triumph of Lorenzo Magi, the coach from Cesena is the ‘King Midas’ of Romagna: everything he touches becomes… tricolor. For him it is the third consecutive championship, after the 2022 and 2023 repeat in Under 15, in 2024 he wins his first in the Under 16 title. Raising the white flag, at the end of a beautiful final is Virtus Entella, who tries until the end, but fails to return to the top of Italy two years after the triumph of 2022. The one in Fermo is in fact a ‘showdown’ between the last two winners of the Under 16 Serie C championship: Cesena takes the lead in the 14th minute thanks to Riccardo Frisoni, doubles in the 37th minute with Francesco Scapoli before conceding the Biancoceleste goal, scored by Mattia Venturini, at the end of the first half of the game. In the second half no other goals arrive and from the stands ‘Romagna Mia’ resounds loudly.
THE POSTMATCH . Andrea Scotto is equally satisfied, despite the knockout, a good match: “We have nothing to blame ourselves for, we tried to play it until the end: finals are won and lost, honor to Cesena and a big round of applause to my boys for the journey “amazing – comments the Ligurian coach -. We are doing a great job in the area, it is clear that winning pleases everyone, but the growth of the kids in the youth sector is our great objective. Entella is confirming itself at high levels and this is the most important thing.” Romagna Mia’ continues to resonate in the stands of the Marche, thanks also to Lorenzo Magi: “This territory is bringing me good: after two championships in the Under 15s it is the first with the Under 16s – admits the Cesena coach excitedly, who won his first championship in the final played against Bari in Fermo -. The boys did a great job to confirm the championship from a year ago in the lower category. It wasn’t easy. It’s testimony to the great work that Cesena is doing in the youth sector. Getting to compete at this level is impossible if you don’t follow an adequate path. : I have to share the credit together with all the colleagues with whom I am lucky enough to work.”
Cesena, the reigning Italian champions, started off on the right foot and immediately created a couple of chances at the start: first with Scapoli, whose poisonous diagonal left-footed shot was miraculously deflected into a corner, then with Giunchi, who sensationally sends Enea Casadei’s excellent suggestion wide to the right. Entella, around the tenth, shows a timid reaction, but Mattia Venturini’s right-footed shot is blocked by an attentive Apuzzo. A few minutes pass and, in the 14th minute, the Romagna players take the lead: Frisoni enters the opponent’s penalty area and, from a tight position on the left, makes a left-footed shot, mocking Mazzino at the near post. The Biancocelesti didn’t have it but, after a free kick from Grasso from 25 meters that went just wide, they conceded another goal: Scapoli appeared near the short right side of the Ligurian small area and, after seeing it blocked a lob from the opposing goalkeeper, he pounces on the rebound and, with his left foot, scores the winning tap in the 37th minute. Scotto’s boys, despite being two goals behind, don’t give up and, at the end of the first half, shorten the the distances: Apuzzo doesn’t hold back a shot from Grasso’s 25 meters before Mattia Venturini, from two steps away, deposits the ball over the goal line before the break.
In the second half, precisely at the quarter of an hour mark, Entella had the opportunity to equalize the score, but Grasso’s header, following an inviting cross from the left by De Rosa, ended up just over the crossbar. A few minutes pass and Cesena takes control of the match, worrying the Ligurians with a couple of shots from outside by Ricci, whose right-footed shot is blocked by Mazzino, and Giunchi, who shoots wide to the right around the half-hour mark. In the frenetic final minutes, just when the match seemed to be drawing to a close, the Biancocelesti created the last scoring opportunity: developments on the developments of a free kick, a header extension by neighbor Rezzesi, who replaced Ottaviani with five remaining from the end, but the acrobatic right from number 19 ends comfortably in the arms of Apuzzo. At the final whistle it’s a celebration for Cesena, who sing ‘Romagna mia’ at the top of their lungs… 370 days after the last time!
CESENA-VIRTUS ENTELLA 2-1 (2-1 pt)
Cesena (4-3-1-2): Apuzzo; Zaghini (69′ Venturini D.), Casadei T., Cimatti, Marini; Giunchi (75′ Ballanti), Pezzi ©, Casadei E. (69′ Cenerelli); Frisoni (80’+3 Poletti); Scapoli, Ricci (75′ Da Rugna).
Available: Angeloni (P), Cavalletti, Giometti, Moretti.
All.: Lorenzo Magi.
Virtus Entella (3-4-1-2): Mazzino; Tarozzi, Bravoco, Ottaviani (75′ Rezzesi); Germi (66′ Scotto Ant.), Demme, Maurizio, De Rosa; Fat; Case ©, Venturini M.
Available: Guidi (P), Badini, Santonastaso, Rovegno, Paltrinieri, De Filippi, Croce.
All.: Andrea Scotto.
Referee: Mr. Emanuele Velocci of Frosinone. Assistants: Mr. Angelo Di Curzio of Civitavecchia and Mr. Paolo Camilli of Rome 1. Fourth official: Mr. Daniele Aronne of Rome 1.
Networks: 14′ Frisoni (C), 37′ Scapoli (C), 40′ Venturini M. (V).
Note: yellow cards 15′ Moretti (C) from the bench, 34′ Pezzi (C), 52′ Zaghini (C), 61′ Giunchi (C), 80’+5 Scapoli (C). Recovery: 0’pt, 4’st.
