Safe and secure in Serie A, Cagliari’s season is all but over and they went into match day thirty-six with little to play for. Their opponents, Napoli, were looking to cement their place in third and were returning to the San Paolo as Coppa Italia champions.
Before the match coach Pulga gave a strongly worded interview, insisting his side would not lie down for Napoli and they wished to continue climbing the table. He also revealed he would be fielding Marco Silvestri instead of Vlada Avramov, declaring the 23-year-old has a ‘bright future ahead of him’.
After his performance against Parma which culminated in a clean sheet, it’s hardly surprising Pulga has given Silvestri the nod ahead of the veteran, but it’s a disappointing decision for Avramov after some decent displays in recent weeks.
A decision that Pulga may have wanted to undo, as the Chievo loanee was sent off on the night for bringing down Goran Pandev. By that stage, Cagliari were already 2-0 down and when Avramov stepped up to the face the penalty, Marek Hamsik’s effort struck the crossbar. It would not be Avramov’s night either, as his save was pushed out to Blerim Dzemaili who buried it for the home side.
Having started the game brightly, Cagliari’s defense was undone after a spirited opening half an hour. Daniele Conti was guilty of bringing down Pandev in the area; Dries Mertens the man on hand to put Napoli into the lead. Then Davide Astori lost his bearings and his poor headed clearance landed at Jose Callejon’s feet. The Spaniard switched it to Pandev who made it two.
After yet another season playing at the highest level of Italian football, it’s time to pay tribute to the two midfield generals who remain the heartbeat of the Cagliari engine room. Daniele Conti and Andrea Cossu have a combined age of sixty-nine and have appeared more than 600 times for Cagliari between them. Conti’s legendary status is already acknowledged throughout Italy but it’s his counterpart Cossu, a native to the island of Sardinia, who often slips under the radar. Having recently turned thirty-four, Cagliari fans are confident that should the club’s present captain leave, his place will be filled without hesitation by Cossu.
Talk of Conti leaving Cagliari is not a topic of conversation regularly discussed, if ever, but recent events point to a parting of ways for the 35 year-old. Initial reports suggest Conti could be on his way to Leeds United, a club that could potentially be owned by Massimo Cellino. Such a transfer looks perfectly feasible on paper, but that would mean overlooking everything that Conti stands for at Cagliari.
The dogged midfielder recently surpassed the great Luigi Riva’s record appearances for the Rossoblu and maintains an excellent rapport with club legend Diego Lopez, who lost his job as coach earlier in the season. In effect, Conti represents the link with the club’s traditions and history, so the thought of him leaving in this manner is deeply saddening.
Follow Louis Gibberd-Thomas on Twitter: @mercutio156
