Season 2011/12 turned out to be one of the best season’s in recent Chievo history. Despite ending the previous season by losing their Coach Stefano Pioli, firstly to Palermo where he was sacked before his side even got to kick a ball in the league then onto Bologna, a season of consolidation was expected following the re-appointment of previous Coach Domenico Di Carlo.
After all, under Pioli, the Gialloblu had registered their best finish in five years with an impressive 11th place. Pioli had managed this by building a solid defensive foundation from which to take the club forward. Di Carlo was expected to do much of the same as he had made his name at Chievo as a steady rather than flambouant Coach.
He came back to the Stadio Bentegodi off the back of a disasterous campaign with Sampdoria where despite starting the season with qualifiers for the Champions League, he had his best two strikers sold from beneath him and was subsequently sacked three quarters of the way through a season that ended in relegation to Serie B for Samp. His stock was no longer rising, and as such he needed a good season at Chievo in order to sustain his career.
Despite an early season 4-0 trouncing at the San Siro against defending champions Milan, in which all four goals came in the first half and truth be told it could have ended seven or eight-nil. Di Carlo stuck by his principles with the loan signings of U.S.A. international Michael Bradley and Milan striker Alberto Paloschi proving particularly inspired. The Gialloblu had some superb league showings with in particular a 0-0 draw away at Lazio just before the winter break where Lazio couldn’t have complained if they had walked off to a 5-0 trouncing on their own ground.
In the return game with Milan, the champs were played off the Bentegodi pitch but Chievo just couldn’t find the finishing touch and Milan got a 1-0 win with a lucky goal. Prehaps the best performance of all was saved for the 1-1 away draw with the Champs in waiting Juventus, in which Di Carlo’s men more than matched their more illustrious opponents and could count themselves unlucky not to have come away as the side to break Juve’s unbeaten run.
The one downside in the whole season was the Coppa Italia, where after a virtual reserve side had brilliantly put a virtual full strenth Udinese side to the sword in the last 32 at the Stadio Fruilli, they were drawn at home to strugglers Siena in their first ever quarter-final.
Expected to reach the semi’s, Chievo huffed and puffed but went down 1-0 to a side that even played the final half hour with ten men, bitterly disappointing for the Bentegodi faithful especially as Siena were only just beaten over two legs by eventual winners Napoli in the semi’s.The league campaign finished with a very impressive 10th place one place higher than predecessor Pioli.
Di Carlo has wasted little time in making his marks in this seasons transfer market. He has done brilliantly to retain the signature of Paloschi for another season on loan. The disappoinment was that midfielder Bradley has left for Roma with Romanian under 21 international midfielder Adrian Stoian moving in the opposite direction.
Stoian has only made one appearance for Roma in four years, but he spent time with both Pescara and Bari on loan so should provide an alternative for Di Carlo in the middle of the park. Also signed are two centre backs. Both have come in from Romanian club Vaslui. One is Stoian’s former under 21 team mate Paul Pepp who has gone on to make his full international debut for his country and the other is Pepp’s team mate, Slovakian international Pavol Farkas.
Also signed is 20 year old Ivory Coast midfielder Issac Cofie. Cofie has arrived from Genoa where he has only made one appearance but again has spent time on loan with the likes of Torino, Piacenza and Sassuolo. The most important and possibly most exciting capture is that of Lecce striker Davide Di Michele.
Having made his name at the likes of Palermo, Torino and then West Ham, Di Michele helped to keep Lecce up in their first season back in Serie A, but unfortunately they couldn’t repeat the trick last year as they were relegated back and Di Michele has been signed to play in the hole behind first choice strikers Sergio Pellissier and Alberto Paloschi.
It is hard to see how Di Carlo can improve on last seasons tenth place finish without spending millions in the process. The fact that Chievo continue year on year with the smallest crowds and the smallest budgets to defie the odds and upset the big boys is a minor miracle in itself.
The amount of young players that arrive at the Bentegodi year on year knowing that they are going to get a chance to showcase their talents is a testament both to what Di Carlo is achieving and the way the club is run by President Luca Campedelli. With Steffano Sorrentino in between the sticks, the Gialloblu have one of the most underated keepers in Serie A.
Di Carlo has kept most of last seasons defence in tact as well as signing two young centre backs as options, so Chievo will always be solid especially at home. He now has options in the middle of the park with the two additions he has made and with Pellissier, Paloschi, Di Michele, Moscardelli and Thereau to pick from up front, the Gialloblu are the envy of a lot of Serie A clubs. The key to success is a solid start.
If Chievo are top half at Christmas they will finish there. I predict eighth place with a decent cup run, then maybe they’ll struggle to hold onto Di Carlo again?
Prediction: 8th
Player to Watch: Davide Di Michele
