Sergio Pellissier: A Cult Hero For Chievo

Date: 19th February 2012 at 11:33am
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Sergio Pellissier is an unlikely Serie A hero. When he first arrived at Chievo fresh from a loan spell at Varese in the third tier in 2000, I doubt many predicted that he would go on to become a club legend. However, over ten years later, Pellissier has scored a century of goals for the club in over 300 appearances, as well having an Italy cap – and goal – to his name.

Pellissier was sent out to SPAL on loan in his first season in Verona, but since then he’s become a permanent fixture in the Flying Donkeys’ starting eleven, and club captain. His staunch loyalty to the club is demonstrated in that last year he rejected Napoli’s advances, unmoved by the lure of European football.

Much like Totti and Roma, Del Piero with Juventus and Di Vaio with Bologna, Pellissier is Chievo. It’s incredibly difficult to think of one without the other – and I’m sure that  Chievo would rather not, as his goals have proved crucial to keeping a team that had never seen top flight football before 2001 – in and around Serie A.

The Gialloblu are based in a tiny suburb of Verona with just 4,500 inhabitants. You could fit the population of Chievo into the Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi almost ten times. And yet, with Pellissier in their ranks they’ve scaled superhuman heights, the pinnacle of which was qualifying for the Champions League in 2006 – albeit helped by the Calciopoli scandal.

Just as impressive as his Serie A scoring rate, is his record when he was handed the armband after the side got relegated to Serie B in 2007. Following a heartbreaking relegation on the final day of the season, it would have been easy for Chievo to languish in the lower leagues for a long time.

But, having replaced the outgoing Lorenzo D’Anna as captain, a career-best 22 goals in the season from Pellissier meant that they bounced straight back to the top flight, claiming the cadetto in the process.

Since then, Pellissier has led the club to some of the most glorious games in their history. A 3-0 win away at Lazio in 08-09 was followed up with a 3-3 draw at Juventus, with il capitano Pellissier scoring a last-gasp equaliser to bring up his first ever hat-trick.

His excellent finishing ability combined with good pace (he’s only 5 ft 9) make him a very tricky striker to defend against. He’s a player who’s always pressing and probing, and gets a sizeable portion of his goals from nicking the ball away from defenders, and intercepting dodgy backpasses.

His 100th goal for the club in a 2-1 win over Novara earlier this month was typical Pellissier. He lurked on the edge of the area, picked up a cross, and with a sharp touch away from a defender and a top corner finish, finally brought up his 100th Chievo goal.

He said that the goals “have the flavor of sacrifice, work, have the taste of victory, that of being able to repay so much for the confidence that this team has always given me.”

Pellissier is an unglamorous striker playing for a rather unglamorous team, although what they both go about quietly achieving is rather remarkable. This season Chievo will once again be battling bravely to stay in Serie A, but with their talisman among the goals once more, you’d be brave to bet against them doing so.

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