After two failed attempts (2018 in Sardinia, 1-0 defeat against Reggio Calabria, and last year in Isola Capo Rizzuto, defeat on penalties against Naples) Trinacria Palermo won its first championship by winning the twenty-second Italian championship organized in Valona, Albania, by the Asd Nazionale Medici Calcio in close collaboration with Aics. In the final, the team of president Teo Guzzetta, coached by Tedesco and Massei, beat the doctors of Cosenza 2-1 thanks to goals by Costa and Di Gangi (the goal of the Silani scored in the final by Francesco Mundo was of no avail).
The tricolor goes to add to the trophy cabinet to the two Italian Cups won in 2019 and 2020 and the Super Cup obtained four years ago. A player from Palermo, Giuseppe Rizzo, also won the trophy for the best attacker, with 3 goals, like the Cosenza players Pescetelli and Caputi, Mansueto from Taranto and Lupacchio from Napoli (Rizzo prevailed being the youngest of the four). Discipline Cup to Melito Porto Salvo, best goalkeepers ex aequo Sullo from Taranto (the defense of the Apulians proved to be the best of the event with only one goal conceded) and Franco from Napoli. Best player of the championship Claudio Costabile from Cosenza chosen thanks to the recommendations of the staff of the Asd Nazionale Medici Calcio and Alfred Ferko, old glory of Flamurtari, among the survivors of the historic challenge in the Champions Cup of the Seventies with Barcelona.
The closing match of the tournament was played in the Flamurtari stadium in front of a large audience, administrators of the Municipality of Valona, representatives of Aics (the provincial president of Naples, Giuseppe Papaccio and Gennaro Buonocore, head of football Aics Naples), the deputy mayor of Valona with the head of the sports sector Klevin Kaso, and Elira Kajtazi, head of Aics football sector in Albania and contact for the championship of doctors with the task of taking care of relations with the institutions. An afternoon dedicated to sport and friendship concluded with the performance of some girls with songs and dances in traditional clothes. All the matches were directed by referees of the Albanian federation.
In the preliminary round Trinacria had beaten Cosenza 3-1, Napoli Flegrea 2-1 and Melito Porto Salvo 4-1, qualifying directly for the semi-final during which they defeated the outgoing champions Napoli 2-1 after extra time. The Campania team of president Giovanni Borrelli was unlucky, having lost three of their strongest players to injury during the match: Giacomo Borrelli, Lambiase and Lupacchio. Cosenza, on the other hand, after the defeat against the team from Palermo, defeated Melito 5-1, drawing 1-1 with Napoli. In the quarter-finals the draw with Melito (1-1) guaranteed the passage to the semi-final due to the best placing in the previous round. Then the one-nil against Taranto thanks to a great goal by Spina. The results of the other matches: Napoli-Taranto 0 to 1, Napoli Flegrea-Taranto 0 to 2, in the quarterfinals Napoli -Napoli Flegrea 1 to 0. Next appointment for the football doctors circuit in Viareggio, in mid-September, for the final phase of the Coppa Italia.
