Football Season Review

№20: Vicenza

Needless to say, it was a very disappointing season for Vicenza, always in the lower part of the table, collapsed in the last rounds to end in third last place and therefore relegated to Lega Pro. Hard to think that only a couple of years ago, coached by Pasquale Marino, the biancorossi have been one step away from promotion to the top flight having finished the regular season in 3rd position at the end of an extraordinary ride and were eliminated in the playoffs' semi-finals. The season had already a very poor beginning...after 7 rounds the biancorossi had the worst defense of the tournament and, having only won one game, were in last position. This situation led to the dismissal of coach Lerda who was replaced by Pierpaolo Bisoli who, after a bumpy period, managed to give some continuity to the results. After the winter break, however, things began to worsen and the Veneti sank into the playout zone. Five rounds from the end even the Emilian coach was sacked to make way for Vincenzo Torrente who tried in vain to save the team from relegation to Lega Pro that mathematically took place at the last round. Yet looking at the list of players seems difficult to imagine such a poor performance, Vicenza seemed a complete team in every sector, a defense with Zaccardo (World Chapion in 2006!), Pucino, Esposito and Adejo on the paper was one of the best of the league, in midfield they could count on excellent players for the category, like Gucher, Signori, Bellomo and Rizzo. The real Achilles heel was the attack (in the end the second worse of the league with only 33 goals scored!), despite the purchase of important players such as Ebagua and De Luca in the winter market. The problem were first of all the too many injuries beginning from goalkeepers, Benussi and Vigorito were rarely available, then Zaccardo, Rizzo, but especially strikers like Siega and Fabinho have been sidelined for great part of the season. Moreover, players who were supposed to be decisive were completely disappointing, beginning from fantasista Bellomo from whom was expected a bit of creativity, then striker Galano, never at ease with the tactics of the coach, so that in January was sold, other striker Giacomelli, but also new arrivals De Luca and Ebagua did not give as much as expected. The only ones who had a positive season were young striker Francesco Orlando, a good perspective, and experienced defender Raffaele Pucino who was also the second best scorer of the team with 5 goals.


Player of the Season: Raffaele Pucino