The penalty converted by Spain decides the match against Jesina, Civitanova wins the Eccellenza championship: it’s a celebration at the Polisportivo
Of Andrea Cesca (Photo and video Of Federico De Marco)
Civitanovese beat Jesina 1-0 and returns to Serie D, Spain scores the match goal on a penalty in the 13th minute of the first half: the celebration explodes at the Polisportivo packed in every row of seats, with over four thousand spectators present in the stands. After seven years the rossoblu partnership rises again to the fourth series, what at the beginning of the season might have seemed like a dream has become reality.
The choreography of the rossoblu fans
The team coached by Sante Alfonsi, newly promoted to Eccellenza, crowned champion on the thirtieth and final day after having almost always led the standings. It is the second championship won in a row, it had never happened in the club’s 105 years of existence.
The team together with the fans at the end of the match
For president Mauro Profili, this is the third promotion of his management, the top rossoblù manager had taken over Civitanovese in the summer of 2017 starting from the first category championship. The city is once again breathing the air of good football, the promotion fever had infected everyone during the week, when match director Lorenzo Carlo Ferroni from Fermo decrees the end of the match, the celebrations begin, inside and outside the stadium.
Captain Paolucci’s speech
The National Observatory rejected the request of the Macerata police station which asked for a ban on the presence of Leoncelli fans at the Polisportivo. In the first leg, played on December 17th at the “Pacifico Carotti”, there were incidents between opposing fans during the influx phases to the stadium, the Ancona police commissioner issued ten Daspo. To avoid the risk of clashes, the Sports Center is guarded by a large number of police forces and the square in front of the stadium is inaccessible to cars. Civitanovese arrives at the last official match of the season in full force, there is also captain Michele Paolucci who recovered in record time from a bad knee injury.
The celebration after the match goal
The section reserved for the Civitanovese ultras is already full an hour before the kick-off. The beating heart of the rossoblù fans reached the Polisportivo in a procession on foot starting from Piazza Conchiglia. President Profili goes under the curve to greet the fans, when the Civitanovese team enters the pitch to warm up the applause breaks out. The anticipation is palpable even in the VIP gallery, the seats fill up well in advance. Michele Paolucci is praised by the crowd, the former Belkaid is immediately targeted by Civitanova supporters.
At the Polisportivo a light sirocco is blowing, in the red and blue colored curve there are many shirtless people. The chants praising the team accompany the entire pre-match, and there is no shortage of teasing. The Jesina ultras enter the stadium a quarter of an hour before kick-off and boos rain down. The sports councilor Claudio Morresi, red and blue scarf around his neck, hosts three historical columns of the Civitanovese team of the 1980-81 season which was promoted to Serie C1, namely Tiziano Zorzetto, Francesco Ilari and Pietro Scolamacchia, with them also the former manager William Gherardi. The last to sit in the stands, arriving from the changing rooms, were the triad made up of Daniele Maria Angelini, Maurizio Bernardi and Roberto Patrassi. In the stands the President of the Region Francesco Acquaroli, a huge Civitanovese fan.
The governor Francesco Acquaroli in the steps
The choreography set up by the local fans is spectacular, a mega flag covers the curve, the rest of the steps are colored red and blue, the Polisportivo is bedlam. President Profili arrives on the bench wearing a blue jacket over his red shirt, the same one he showed off in the match against Montefano.
The first key moment of the match in the 11th minute when Lucarini lands in the Spagna area and the referee decrees the penalty kick by warning the lions’ number 6: Spagna himself goes to the spot, the ball weighs like a boulder, the shot is not angled but displaces Pistola who tries to do Grobbelaar to distract the opponent, Civitanovese ahead by a goal after thirteen minutes, the number 9 goes to walk with his hand on his ear under the steps and curve.
Spain’s celebration
Jesina, who had started better, immediately went down. Nerves are on edge, on a high ball the goalkeeper Testa anticipates everyone, Zagaglia and De Vito fall to the ground, a melee breaks out. Before the half hour Civitanovese comes close to doubling their lead, Spagna intercepts a mistaken clearance by Baah and starts on the counterattack, they could serve Strupsceki in the center but he ends up low at the near post, an easy prey for Pistola. “A worthy rival deserves a worthy society, hatred and respect for the Jesi ultra” reads the banner of the Civitanova ultras. Alfonsi’s team is in control, Jesina is willing but is missing in the last sixteen meters (Cordella is not there, Trudo is on the bench), after two minutes of injury time the first half ends.
The Jesina supporters, around a hundred in total, try to make themselves heard, a header from Chacana ends up in Testa’s hands. The speaker draws the attention of those present, a little girl would have been lost on the bend. The match could virtually end in the 66th minute with a rising header from Passalacqua, Pistola blocks with his feet and keeps Jesina’s hopes alive. However, the lions were left with one man less in the 73rd minute when Baah, previously booked, received his second yellow card for a mid-field foul on Spagna.
Captain Paolucci kisses the shirt
When the news arrives from Urbania that the hosts have doubled their lead against Montefano, the tension dissolves, the Civitanovese bench stands up and the party begins. Three months after surgery on the cruciate knee ligament, Paolucci returns to the pitch and the standing ovation begins. Alfonsi lets himself go on the bench, jumps and dances with the fans. When at 6.26pm the referee decrees the end there are tears and hugs of joy. Jesina is condemned to the playouts, fireworks go off in the corner.
Patron Profili can celebrate
The scoreboard:
CIVITANOVESE (4-2-3-1): Head 6.5; Franco 6.5 De Vito 6.5 (49′ st Ballanti ng), Passalacqua 6.5, Pasqualini 6.5; Visciano 7, Domizi 6.5; Buonavoglia 6.5 (45′ st Bagnolo ng), Strupsceki 6.5 (46′ st Paolucci ng), Becker 6.5 (42′ st Ruggeri ng); Spain 7 (37′ st Brunet ng). Available: Cannella, Giordani, Ercoli, Cosignani. Coach Alfonsi.
JESINA (4-1-4-1): Gun 7; Grillo 6, Lucarini 5.5, Baah 5, Brega 6 (40′ st Dentice ng); Zagaglia 6; Chacana 6, Zandri 6, Giovannini 5.5 (39′ st Giunti ng), Monteverde 5.5 (22′ st Marcucci ng); Kouentchi 5.5 (33′ st Re Ruben ng). Available: Cantarini, Dentice, Belkaid, Ciavarella, Ottaviani, Trudo. All. Strappini.
ARBITRATION TERNA: Lorenzo Carlo Ferroni from Fermo (assistants Paradisi and Gasparri from Pesaro).
NET: pt. 13′ pen. Spain
NOTE: spectators over 4,000. Baah sent off in the 73rd minute. Giovannini, Strupsceki, Spagna, Lucarini, Passalacqua, Baah, Domizi are booked. Corner kicks 4 – 4. Time added: 8′ (2’+6′).
){kind=link}