While the calendar may say that it is only March and there are still 10 matches to be played in the season, I can definitively say that Palermo’s season and time in the Serie A ended on Sunday.
Sure, anything can still happen and Palermo could still find enough points to avoid relegation, but let’s be honest: nothing short of a miracle will save the club at this point. It’s tough to say that as Palermo and it’s fans have shown themselves to be one of the true bright spots of the Italian game in the past decade. The hope is that things have already hit rock bottom so that steps can be taken to build this club back up to what it was once.
There isn’t really much to analyse from Sunday’s defeat as it played out in typical Rosanero fashion from this season. A poor first half saw the team somehow enter half-time with a 1-0 lead thank to a close range effort from Anselmo, who had been the worst player on the pitch up to that point. The result wasn’t deserved, but given the match was a six-point relegation battle, that didn’t matter. Three points were all that mattered. Instead of building on their lead, Palermo pulled off a Palermo, fell apart at the seems and let another favourable scoreline get away from them.
The tears of Giacomo Brichetto (the number three goalkeeper on the depth chart) truly explain Sunday’s defeat and the season as a whole.
Instead of playing as though their Serie A lives were on the line, it was Siena who showed tenacity and resolve in overturning the result thanks to star signing Innocent Emeghara and an Alessandro Rosina penalty after 72 minutes.
Palermo nicked the post twice after that as they looked to draw level, but at that point it was too little too late. A draw would have done very little for them as three points were absolutely vital. Instead, the image of Giacomo Brichetto crying on the bench as the match neared its end will more than likely be a lasting image from Palermo’s 2012/13 season. When this touching scene is the only morsel of emotion we have seen from the players in recent months, it’s evident that the problems afflicting the squad are more prominent than what takes place on the pitch for 90 minutes each and every week.
Giuseppe Sannino returns for his second tenure as Palermo coach. With how the season has gone, Alberto Malesani might want to stay near his phone in case he gets a phone call from Zamparini…
As if Sunday’s result wasn’t enough, Maurizio Zamparini was at it once again this week. Yes, he did it again. For the fifth time the Palermo owner changed coaches with Giuseppe Sannino (remember him?) being reappointed as coach of the Rosanero. If the results on the pitch have been difficult to stomach, what can be said about the coaching/director merry-go-round that has taken place this season? At this point it must be welcome relief for Gian Piero Gasperini to have mutually terminated his contract with the club as he no longer has to worry about being recalled to what has sadly become a telenovela. For most clubs, making one coaching change during the season is looked down upon, but in the world of Mad Maurizio it has become a natural occurrence.
Unfortunately for Palermo fans, this type of madness has become expected. I truly believe that he has the best intentions for the club in mind, but it is amazing that he hasn’t realized his constant changes are largely to blame for the club’s current predicament. If there is to be one silver lining from what is now certain relegation, it’s that Zamparini can learn from all the mistakes that have been made the last few seasons and the club can return to the Serie A stronger than ever, much like Sampdoria have done this season.
The club will travel to take on AC Milan on Sunday, and there is little to no optimism with regards to Palermo getting a result. The Rosanero must be hoping that the Rossoneri are still reeling from the thumping they received from Barcelona in the Champions League because on paper the result looks like a foregone conclusion. With morale at a season low, gaining a point, let alone a victory, would be stunning. Unfortunately, Palermo have grown accustomed to sending out shockwaves for all the wrong reasons, as the three-coaching-changes-in-just-under-a-month has shown…
Follow Adriano Boin on Twitter: @Boin44
