by Simone Cioni
EMPOLI
A day of great reflection yesterday at the Azzurri after Sunday evening’s defeat at the Olimpico against Roma. On the other hand, sporting director Pietro Accardi, asked post-match about Mr. Zanetti’s future, had already announced that the club would take some time to make a decision. In this sense, no official announcement has been made, but there appear to be very few percentages that the Venetian coach will remain in his place. After an initial meeting between the parties which took place yesterday morning, in fact, the company had a series of talks with other coaches. And in the end the choice could have fallen on a coach well known in Empoli, Andreazzoli. Grandfather Aurelio, sacked just last year to entrust the team to Paolo Zanetti, would therefore return after his brief experience with Ternana in Serie B from December 2022 to February 2023. Massa’s expert coach would have beaten the competition from Giampaolo, who it would have been another return, and Gotti (the names of Nicola, a business expert in the key to salvation, the former coach of Nicolato’s national Under 21 team and Semplici would have remained more secluded. In short, Empoli will almost certainly resume training today it will no longer be led by Zanetti and his staff
In times of difficulty, it is always the coach who pays for everyone, but as the Italian director specified again in his speech after Sunday evening’s match against Mourinho’s team, the fault certainly lies with all the members. Moreover, Accardi cannot explain, for example, the performance of the Olimpico, especially in light of the way in which the Azzurri trained during the previous weeks. “Evidently at the moment there is a mental difficulty so we can’t bring the attitude we have in training back into the game.” Beyond the 7-0 defeat by Roma, what is most worrying is precisely the way in which he matured, without a reaction and never giving the impression of unity. Evidently something has broken and to shake up the whole environment the solution chosen is to change the coach. Barring any surprises, therefore, the profile chosen by the company to try to get the team back into competition will be Nonno Aurelio Andreazzoli. Thinking about the race for salvation, in fact, nothing is compromised, of course. But it is clear that it will be necessary to change course as soon as possible, because after the match against Inter on Sunday, another one that can be lost on paper, the ones where it will no longer be possible to make mistakes will begin, starting from the midweek round against Salernitana, always in home.
