Cagliari have dispelled a myth these last weeks, they have banished excuses and damned all those teams who use off the field issues to explain poor performances. The Sardinians have more anguish off field than Serse Cosmi does in his head and yet still they managed to go out and get two more crucial results.
Firstly last week they faced the rather troublesome issue of witnessing Mauro Contini (the mayor of Quartu Sant’Elena, the Cagliari district) and their President Massimo Cellino, being arrested as part of an investigation into the Is Arenas stadium. Why you ask? For once it was not match fixing but embezzlement and false representation in the rebuilding of the stadium.
Cagliari had played at the Stade Sant’Elia from 1970 until safety issues saw them move to the temporary Stadio Is Arena. Reasons for the main stadium not being upgraded have been left vague and unexplained to the point of farce. It is well known that the Sardinian team played their remaining matches of last season in Trieste which is 1000km away.
The Cagliari website however has come out in support stating that “Employees, Coaching staff and players are all close to the President in this difficult time. We are confident in the work of the judicial process and believe that the investigation will show the truth. At this time we would like to say: President, we are with you.”
Once again despite all of this a football match again took place with a trip to Pescara, Marco Sau struck twice in a game that the away side deserved to win. The little assassin continues his rich vein of form in a team that are looking well balanced with a good work ethic. It could be these qualities that keep them up by the end of the season.
Pescara Coach Cristiano Bergodi bemoaned that “After a decent performance against Palermo, I thought we would do something more. The distraction on Marco Sau’s first goal broke the deadlock and we lost our shape.” His counterpart Ivo Pulga showed his quality again after the match desperately trying to keep the club united saying that “It is a deserved victory and a great response on the field from the squad. Obviously we dedicate the win to our President and hope the matter can be resolved as soon as possible.”
So what of the game the week after against Torino? Sardinian politician Mauro Pili buoyantly claimed that “The Is Arenas will be used – no ifs or buts. In the current climate it would be difficult for anything administrative to happen. But I am ready to take responsibility for signing any authorisation.” There is however always a but and (in a weekly claim that is now just tedious) they will, it is claimed play behind closed doors.
The bizarre situation was that, in a crazy fortnight, the powers that be actually made them play in behind closed doors. So, in an eerie Stadio Is Arena, the irony played out that Cagliari and Torino produced one of the games of the season. One could write about this game for so many pages that in the end it would be easier watching the whole 90 minutes again rather than read it. The best way to describe the madness would be That Marco Sau scored a pen on 37 minutes, Alessio Cerci then equalised on 47 only for Alen Stevanovic to add to the Toro goals on 54 minutes.
Cagliari equalised through Daniele Conti with 25 minutes left on the clock before Mauricio Pinilla scored his penalty to take the home side into the lead on 86. Incredibly Rolando Bianchi dispatched a penalty of his own on 91 minutes to equalise. That was surely it wasn’t it? No Daniele Conti then won the game through an obscene deflection on 95 minutes. In case it was not mentioned, the game also saw two red cards, one a piece. Cagliari 4-3 Torino.
So in a week where the Mayor and the President have been arrested, the stadium could be pulled down and they played behind closed doors, Pulga’s team just keep carrying on. Marco Sau continues to score and the team just look better and better. The Curva was empty this weekend and if it is next time one could hope that a banner could be laid out over the empty stands with the simple words “Keep Calm, and carry on, we are Cagliari.”
