Focus TMW
In the end there was no story: the Mantua returns to Serie B, redeems the previous relegation in a big way and wins the long-distance duel with a Padova team that collapsed after the 0-5 in the direct clash and a Vicenza who, with Modesto, won 45 points, paying dearly for a disastrous first round. It was impossible to bridge the gap with the Virgilians, who dropped only after having acquired the mathematical certainty of the category jump. As happened in the recent past with Sudtirol, Lecco and FeralpiSalò, it is a group that also showcased good teams destined to keep up with the big teams in the play-offs. This is the case of Lumezzane, Giana Erminio and Legnago. Alessandria and Pro Sesto are relegated, for Lo Monaco’s Novara the difficult epilogue of the playouts. Below is the TOP 11 of the 2023/2024 season by TuttoMercatoWeb.com who opts for the 4-2-4:
Vismara (Atalanta U23): there are also his gloves in the excellent path made by a team that has grown exponentially with the passing of the weeks and which has often clung to the saves of the number one to bring home important results. The return round was impressive in terms of continuity and concentration, in Mantua an 8-point performance with some decisive interventions in the second half.
Redolfi (Mantua): it’s impossible not to mention a defender who made the difference from the first to the last day, an old-fashioned goalscorer who pays a lot of attention to concreteness and substance. The true leader of the rearguard, with two goals to his credit which also added points to the league leaders’ standings.
Delli Carri (Padua): the talent of the Juventus school had given a glimpse of something interesting in prospect already in Salerno. There, however, it was Serie A and it was difficult to carve out an important space for yourself. In Padua he found the necessary continuity and was an immovable starter both with Torrente and with Oddo in these last matches. Comfortable as a central defender in a 4-man defense after starting his career as a wingman, he also managed to score four goals from inactive ball plays.
Ciofani (Triestina): he didn’t play all the matches, but when he was in top form he confirmed that he was an irreplaceable element on the halberd tactical board. 36 years old, but the boy’s enthusiasm and the ability to be a leader in the locker room and to take on important responsibilities in moments of greatest difficulty. Like when, in mid-February, he came out publicly declaring that “there are those who only think of themselves, and that’s not good”. It may have been a coincidence, but from there the group regrouped. The right words at the right time.
Gym (Atalanta U23): he already seems ready for more important stages, his performance confirms that the B teams can truly be an exceptional training ground for those who are talented but risk finding little space at the start of their career. A perpetual motion on the lane of competence, he is the team’s record holder for assists and kilometers travelled.
Franzoni (Giana Erminio): guiltyly under-hyped, yet as a midfielder he managed to score 8 goals in a team that, on paper, had set out to avoid relegation and which instead gave itself a post-season that promises to be interesting. The heaviest net? Without a doubt the one against Padova, against an opponent who was unbeaten away at the time.
Burrai (Mantua): the safe second-hand, that player who knows how to win in this category and who adds another unforgettable vintage to the collection after those of Perugia and Pordenone. He literally took the red and whites by the hand, dragging them along with plays of absolute quality. Assist man and all-round lighthouse who excelled in a front-wheel drive module.
Rocco (Legnago): he closed the regular season in the way most suited to him, with a beautiful goal on the field of league leaders Mantua. The captain and the darling of the club and the fans scored 14, confirming himself as a relentless striker in the penalty area.
Ferrari (Vicenza): even when, during Diana’s management, the results didn’t arrive, he was always there to remove the chestnuts from the fire and hide under the ashes the problems of a group that struggled to express itself. With Vecchi he was the fulcrum of an interesting team game, based above all on the overlaps of the wingers and crosses from the flanks. Music to his ears.
Lescano (Triestina): the Italian-Argentine takes home the title of top scorer with 16 goals. The doubles with Legnago and Virtus Verona were perhaps the most important moments of the season. And the dream of promotion passes above all through his feet. The understanding with Redan was excellent, a tandem that put all the defenses in group A in difficulty.
May (Pro Vercelli): “The best goal? It’s the one I still have to score.” Words and music from a striker who, despite being very young, has demonstrated that he has broad shoulders and the ability to carry along the environment, his teammates and the technical staff. There is a lot of him in the playoff qualification, to the 12 goals in 32 games we must add an infinite number of assists and exhausting work in support of the entire offensive department.
Davide Possanzini (Mantua): There have been many good coaches in this group. Giana Erminio and Legnago, for example, played good football despite not having super personnel. And Vecchi, as a substitute, scored 45 points in Vicenza. However, the first step of the podium can only be occupied by the former Brescia striker, someone who inherited a situation that was anything but simple and who managed to convey his ideas right from the first match. Padova’s 0-5 is the result of a performance to be seen in football schools, it embodies the prototype of a modern coach.