Entering the final chapter of the 2015-16 season it looks as though F.C. Crotone are going to be Serie B champions, earning their passage to the top flight of Italian football. Considering the competition the Calabrian outfit have faced in Cagliari and Cesena, their achievement is made all the more impressive, outlasting clubs with far greater Serie A experience and history to call upon. However, considering the state of affairs in the footballing world this season, perhaps we should be less inclined to be so shocked. In Serie A alone we’ve witnessed a first season in the top flight for Carpi, who could cling on to their status should Palermo finish beneath them.
Crotone don’t appear too dissimilar to Carpi at present, as both teams have a source of players with previous Serie A experience as well as a host of loaned individuals. In fact the vast majority of the Carpi squad is made up of loaned players, while Crotone have only a select few including Fiorentina youngster Leonardo Capezzi and Roma starlet Federico Ricci. Two years ago Crotone brought in both Danilo Cataldi and Federico Bernardeschi on loan deals, both of whom have gone on to greater heights in the Italian game.
While Crotone may have an inferior squad to the comparatively well-financed Cagliari team, there are some notable figures that could be crucial in the months to come. Former Parma and Genoa forward Raffaele Palladino brings experience up top, while veterans Pietro De Giorgio, Antonio Galardo and Francesco Modesto can also help steady the ship. One further name of note is Adrian Stoian, the Romanian once considered a player of promise in his stints at Roma, Chievo and Genoa.
With the absence of big name players, Crotone and Carpi are clear examples of this principle; highlighting the importance of camaraderie and cohesion over star status. Certainly promotion to Serie A would support this view from Crotone’s perspective, but that isn’t to say we haven’t witnessed greater examples of these principles. In England we’ve seen perhaps the greatest extreme to this philosophy as starless Leicester City have not only clinched Champions League football for next season, but are also nearing a shock title. It’s hard to imagine a greater success story, so much so that such an occurrence ever happening seemed beyond belief.
In Italy, the country has witnessed a small upset of it’s own this campaign. The Coppa Italia saw third division side Alessandria overturn the odds and progress to the semi-finals of the competition, casting aside Genoa and Palermo on their journey. In a more general view, the development of Sassuolo has been impressive since their promotion in 2013, as has the return of Tuscan side Empoli, both of which have established strong concepts based largely on the integration of youth and experienced players.
If Carpi are able to succeed in their relegation battle, then it will certainly fuel the notion that smaller clubs are starting to have their say in the sport. Palermo and Hellas Verona, both beneath Carpi in the Serie A standings, are considered established Serie A outfits with strong infrastructure and sizeable stadiums. Carpi on the other hand have spent the season as tenants of the Stadio Alberto Braglia, home to Modena and previously the refuge of Sassuolo between 2008 and 2013. The home stadium of Carpi, the Stadio Sandro Cabassi, failed to meet the minimum capacity rules in Serie A.
In truth it is surprising to see the demise of certain clubs, in particular Palermo. The Rosanero have been an excellent source of emerging talent such as Javier Pastore, Paulo Dybala and, their most recent prized asset, Franco Vazquez. While the relegation of Hellas Verona wouldn’t be as surprising, the success of the previous season and the continued efforts of striker Luca Toni does add an air of disappointment. For players such as Toni and Vazquez to be relegated, while lesser sides survive, it’s positively criminal, but it says a great deal about the value of team chemistry and cohesiveness.
The promotion of Carpi in itself became a nightmare for Lazio president Claudio Lotito who resented the idea of provincial Italian sides threatening the status of more established clubs. The eventual promotion of Frosinone gave Lotito further cause for concern, as the Canarini have a venue capacity of just under 10,000. Despite his desire to see the top tier of Italian football continue to be dominated by an elitist monopoly, namely Roman and Milanese sides, Lotito may have to stand by and witness the opposite.
