Having begun each of the past four seasons with a different manager at the helm, the 2013-14 campaign has seen Cagliari legend Diego Lopez take the reins in Sardinia, with the Uruguayan firmly focused on building upon the respectable 11th placed finish achieved last time out.
The 39-year-old rookie tactician hung up his boots in 2010 after a successful 12 year stint with the Isolani, in which he scored seven goals in 344 appearances playing at the heart of their defence.
Following his retirement he served as assistant to Ivo Pulga for the 2012-13 term, but the two traded roles in the summer as Lopez was chosen by President Massimo Cellino as the man to lead the team into a new era.
With the Sardi supremo having kept his purse-strings firmly tightened during the previous two transfer windows, he has outlaid only €2.5 million on new signings in 2013, concentrating more on loan acquisitions and free transfers.
Brazilian defender Danilo Avelar was a €1.5m summer acquisition from Ukranian side Karpaty, and Uruguayan midfield-man Matias Cabrera touched down from Nacional in January, however the main objective has clearly been to keep hold of key performers Davide Astori and Radja Nainggolan, who have been the subject of interest from some major sides both at home and abroad in recent times.
Despite the apparent lack of resources at his disposal, Lopez has done very well in his maiden half-season as a coach under the watchful eye of his experienced predecessor Pulga, guiding his side to 12th in the standings, level on 20 points with no less than four other teams, and separated only by goal-difference with Parma who currently sit in 8th position. The Rossoblu are certainly exceeding expectations so far this campaign, and can return to league action in the new year reasonably assured of their ability to avoid the drop come mid-May.
Tactical Shifts
Cagliari have largely maintained their 4-3-1-2 formation from last term, however, under their new boss, captain and talisman Daniele Conti has shifted into a deeper midfield role, in a move which could be in part motivated by the need to save his legs with the veteran bandiera due to celebrate his 35th birthday in early January.
This formation has not been religiously stuck to however, and Lopez has demonstrated a degree of tactical versatility, with the recent 2-1 win over Torino being a prime example; A narrower diamond midfield was adopted as part of a slightly-adjusted 4-1-2-1-2 line-up which mirrored that of the Granata in order to counter their opponents’ attacking threat through the middle.
Meanwhile, Andrea Cossu is still the preferred choice as trequartista, usually picked to play in the hole behind a strike pair of Marco Sau and Victor Ibarbo, but Matias Cabrera, Abin Ekdal and Belgian international Nainggolan have all started in this position at some point since the season began, proving perhaps that the Rossoblu haven’t yet found the heir to their talented yet ageing star.
Conti – Cagliari
Star Performer so far: Daniele Conti
The 34-year-old has revelled in his deeper-lying midfield role under new coach Diego Lopez, and has rolled back the years, going on to start and finish 15 of his side’s Serie A matches during the opening half of the season. Not only has he been voted man of the match on two occasions, but he has also recorded an impressive 90.9% pass success rate, and contributed four goals and one assist thus far in what is shaping up to be the Roman’s best ever season in a Cagliari shirt.
Worst Performer: Agim Ibraimi
The summer loan-signing from Maribor has only been afforded 273 minutes on the pitch so far this term, starting just twice and making eight substitute appearances, however since laying on an assist for Nainggolan against Inter in week six, he has done precious little to warrant his place in the squad and has had almost no impact coming off the bench.
He may soon find his feet, and it is too early to write him off just yet given that a settling-in period is often required in a new league, but the Macedonian has a lot of convincing to do if he wants the Sardinians to take up their option to buy him outright at the end of the season.
Transfer of the season so far: Danilo Avelar
The Rossoblu haven’t invested heavily in the squad over the past 12 months, although their decision to complete the permanent transfer of 24-year-old Brazilian left-back Danilo Avelar for €1.5m in the summer has so far proven to be a good one.
His signing was prompted by a successful loan spell last term, during which he made 20 appearances for the Sardi, and he has gone on to feature seven more times so far this campaign, providing one assist.
He has demonstrated himself to be a solid defensive reinforcement, strong in the tackle and a good crosser of the ball, and his arrival should go some way to shoring up the left side of the Sardi defence for some years to come seeing as he is still only 24 years of age.
Milestone moment
It has to be 2-1 the victory over Torino in week 12. Following their commendable 1-1 draw against Inter in Round 6, Cagliari suffered a dreadful run of results which saw them lose four games out of five, with their only points in October coming courtesy of a home victory against bottom side Catania. This patch of bad form had Lopez briefly fearing for his job as he looked increasingly likely to become one of the early-season coaching casualties.
Fortunately for him however, the Rossoblu secured a valuable result which gave their season the shot in the arm it badly needed, and it proved to be a real turning point for them.
Captain Daniele Conti scored a brace, and put in a man of the match performance to ensure that the Isolani would emerge as victors, and following this they have gone unbeaten for six straight games, securing 10 points from a possible 18.
What needs to happen in 2014?
Much of what happens after the winter break in Sardinia will depend on the futures of Cagliari’s big-name players, two of whom are being linked with imminent moves away from the club.
Italian international defender Davide Astori is the mainstay of the defence, and has been attracting admiring glances from some major clubs, most notably Juventus and AC Milan, who would both be keen to add him to their ranks. A move to Napoli collapsed in the dying minutes of the transfer window in the summer, with Cellino determined to retain the services of his best centre-back for at least another season.
Another star who has been the subject of much transfer conjecture is holding midfielder Radja Nainggolan; It is no accident that the 25-year-old has been targeted by some of Italy’s biggest sides, and it will be a real blow to the Sardi if a reported move to Milan goes through in January as expected. He has become a truly pivotal and dependable player for the Isolani since making the move from Piacenza in the summer of 2010.
Never one to shun his defensive duties, he has performed most admirably this term when some of his teammates have not been at the races, and it will certainly be interesting to see how the team copes without him if he does indeed leave for pastures new.
It remains to be seen, but if Cellino realistically wants his team to avoid relegation, he would do well to hold off selling his prized assets until the summer, when he could go in search of adequate replacements.
However, apparently angry about the ongoing issues regarding safety at the stadio Sant’Elia, during an astonishing outburst, the Rossoblu President recently declared that all of his most valuable assets will be available for transfer in January.
“All the players are free to go, what the **** are they still doing in this awful stadium?” Cellino told reporters.
“We play in a stadium worthy of Serie C.”
This could clearly unsettle Lopez and his men, potentially distracting them from the job at hand, but as long as they can steady the ship, continue their positive momentum, and keep the current crop of players intact, Cagliari should steer clear of relegation this season.
