With Serie A in it’s midseason break, Chievo find themselves almost in the midst of a relegation fight. Forza Italian Football brings you a review of all that has happened over the first half of the Flying Donkeys’ difficult season.
Chievo had a difficult start to their season which saw them welcome Scudetto champions Juventus. A narrow 1-0 opening day defeat was followed by a fairly dire run which saw the Flying Donkeys take only four points from their first nine games, despite an encouraging week two victory over Rafa Benitez’s Napoli.
Rolando Maran’s side were by no means the whipping boys of the league, losing several close games by one goal, it appeared that a lack of firepower was the real problem for a team with one of the league’s tighter defences conceding as many goals as Napoli and less than Fiorentina. Only defeats to Roma and both the Milan clubs saw Chievo be truly outplayed.
From November, Chievo’s form vastly improved as they lifted themselves out of the bottom three with a run of five matches unbeaten, including two wins over relegation rivals Cesena and Cagliari. Despite a loss to Inter halting that run, the Flying Donkeys rallied to defeat cross-city rivals Hellas going into the winter break, having taken 12 points from their last seven games.
Transfer Hit & Flop
Twenty-three-year-old full Cristiano Biraghi on loan from Inter has impressed at the Stadio Mercantonio Bentegodi as part of an assured defence, while also contributing down Chievo’s left flank, adding something to an at times fairly toothless attack. The club will no doubt be hopeful that he stays in Verona until at least the end of the season, if not beyond that.
At 30, the Argentine forward Maxi Lopez’s best days are behind him. The former Barcelona man has looked a shadow of the player he once was, only contributing one goal and making just seven starts since his arrival from Sampdoria.
Coach
Having been sacked by Catania for the second time earlier this year, Rolando Maran took charge of a Chievo team looking to build on their 16th place finish last season. Maran spent the best part of his playing career in Verona, turning out 280 times for the Flying Donkeys in nine years.
His start to life there as a coach however, was less memorable with a poor start but Chievo’s form going into January has been encouraging. There are still few signs of Maran moving away from the infamously tame style of play that Chievo’s teams have been known to adopt, but more firepower and ball-playing midfielders joining in the transfer window might change that.
The victories over Napoli and Hellas will have done nothing to hurt Maran’s chances of increasing his popularity with the fans.
Best Goal – Riccardo Meggiorini v Cagliari
The 29-year-old’s only goal so far this term was one to savour as he capitalised on a lucky deflection from a Mariano Izco volley which saw the ball sit up for Meggiorini to fire a bicycle kick past the goalkeeper to give his side the lead.
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