Hellas Verona enjoyed a brilliant 2013-14 Serie A season. The newly promoted side finished 10th, stayed up comfortably and only narrowly missed out on the Europa League.
So, it is not surprising that the Mastini’s achievements did not go unnoticed and the wealthier Serie A clubs have sought to snap up their stars.
Wily sporting director Sean Sogliano has been busy with the unenviable task of finding replacements for the likes of Juan Manuel Iturbe, Romulo and even Jorginho who left in January.
Transfers
After seasons of relative stability, an incredible 14 players have been signed and 13 have walked out the door. Many of the additions are typical Sogliano signings: little-known players from small clubs who are out to surprise.
The signing of two Greek internationals show that the club is living up to the ‘Hellas’ part of its name. Lazaros Christodoulopoulos has arrived from Bologna and Panagiotis Tachtsidis joins for a second loan spell with the Scaligeri. Christodoulopoulos is a versatile midfielder who can play out wide and his pace complements Andrea Mandorlini’s quick, direct 4-3-3 of last year. Central midfielder Tachtsidis is a huge chap and he was an important part of the 2011-12 Verona side when he made 37 appearances in Serie B.
Last season Verona scored a lot yet conceded too many. The Greek trident of Vangelis Moras, Christoulopolos and Tachtsidis adds a bit of steel and the opportunity to use cliches such as ‘fighting like Trojans’.
A marquee signing has been that of former Barcelona centre back Rafa Marquez who arrives off the back of a decent World Cup with Mexico. While he is now 35, he should still be a regular and tighten up a back line that was the one weakness last season. Marquez’s arrival has also given the club a legion of Mexican fans who post vigorously on the club’s social media pages, a strange sign of the club’s progression from Serie C.
Brazilian striker Nene has arrived from Cagliari but his impact will depend on how much Luca Toni, last season’s second top scorer in Serie A, is able to play. Nene has looked decent in pre-season but he will need minutes on the pitch if the side are to rely less on the former Italy international.
Mounir Obbadi from Monaco looks a shrewd addition. In a pre-season victory over F.C Sudtirol, Obbadi displayed an impressive ability to subtly unlock a team that sits back but he can also play in front of the defence.
Croatian right back Ivan Martic has been given the tough task of replacing Romulo who has left for Juventus but he’s something of an unknown: after all, he only has 140 Twitter followers.
Antonio Luna from Aston Villa is a typical Sogliano addition. He was a young player with a growing reputation when he joined the English side but failed to make an impact in the West Midlands. The Gialloblu can offer the 23-year-old a chance to relaunch his career and left back was the area of the squad that was calling out for reinforcement.
The Coach – Andrea Mandorlini 
Amid all the turnover the one constant is coach Andrea Mandorlini who has been at the club for almost four years and he is adored by the fans. His tactics were extremely consistent last season with a direct, counterattacking 4-3-3 but in pre-season there has been some experimentation.
The 4-3-3 can switch to more of 4-2-3-1 with the central midfielders not expected to run as much and the attacking midfielder given less defensive responsibility.
Mandorlini has done wonders for Verona’s status and is capable of avoiding the dreaded the second season syndrome. Everything has gone well for him during his tenure with the Gialloblu but managing all the changes could be his toughest test yet.
Season Expectations
Despite being in the race for Europe last season, the objective will again be survival. But things remain fluid. Verona could face a real scrap to avoid the drop although quite a few Serie A sides could struggle more than the Gialloblu.
Rafa Marquez spoke of how he joined Leon in Mexico when they were promoted and left after winning two consecutive titles. Obviously, the Scaligeri will not win the Scudetto but the club do set realistic, incremental goals. If avoiding relegation is aiming too low, then a mid-table finish is realistic but the sides who finished around Verona last season should be stronger this time around.
Prediction
Despite a 3-1 loss to Burnley, pre-reason results have been relatively encouraging and a 3-0 win over Cremonese in the Coppa Italia has got the competitive season off to a good start. Hellas will probably survive but are unlikely to match the achievements of 2013-14.
Given all the comings and goings, a slow start looks likely but the results will come provided everybody is patient and holds their nerve. This is a vital season but the team should have enough about them to avoid the disaster of relegation. The club is looking to sign defender Frederik Sorensen and the forward Nico Lopez. A few canny arrivals should guarantee another season in Serie A.
Where will they finish? Lower mid-table seems likely, probably around 13th.
Follow Luca Gunby on Twitter: @Gunbyzono
