SPAL Revolutionise Squad for Serie A Adventure

Date: 14th July 2017 at 6:36pm
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Making the leap from one division to another requires a team to adapt quickly to the higher level in quality but the jump is much greater for a club that has gone from the third-highest division to the highest in the space of three years

Under the coaching of Leonardo Semplici, SPAL have achieved back-to-back promotions, and the team from Ferrara in the Emilia-Romagna region will play in Serie A for the first time since the 1967-68 campaign.

Sporting director Davide Vagnati has found players to suit the 3-5-2 formation implemented by Semplici, and since the transfer market opened on July 1, the Serie B champions are already completing acquisitions of players who have experience in Italy’s top flight.

The majority of these footballers have arrived on loan spells and with obligations to be purchased outright and arguably the most well-known of these players is former Chievo striker Alberto Paloschi.

It has been a tough 18 months for the 27-year-old, who has not replicated his form in disappointing spells with Welsh club Swansea City as well as Atalanta. Moving from La Dea to the Biancazzurri should provide him with an opportunity to regain his form alongside experienced striker Sergio Floccari.

SPAL have also acquired centre-back Marios Oikonomou and midfielder Luca Rizzo from fellow Emilia-Romagna side Bologna while their former teammate Federico Viviani has joined from his parent club Hellas Verona.

The Greek international has been based in Italy since he joined Cagliari in 2013 and has played for Bologna for the last three seasons including their promotion campaign from Serie B in 2014-15.

Rizzo has arrived from the Felsinei on loan with an option to be bought outright and he can play in a variety of midfield positions. The 25-year-old struggled with injuries in the 2016-17 season so he would be hoping that a move to SPAL will keep him fit and provides him with greater playing opportunities.

After a mediocre campaign with Bologna in 2016-17 and being used sparingly by Rossoblu tactician Roberto Donadoni, Viviani will be reunited with Oikonomou and Rizzo. If granted sufficient playing time, the 25-year-old can be a real asset with his ball distribution, dead-ball ability, and powerful shooting so switching to the Biancazzurri might be the right move for his career to progress.

A player who has been struggling to make his Serie A breakthrough is Juventus startlet Federico Mattiello. The 21-year-old joins SPAL on a one-year loan deal but he has battled with injury, none being worse than when he broke his leg at Chievo against Roma in the 2014-15 season.

He will probably play as a wing-back in Semplici’s midfield quintet and his fitness should likely effect a decision to start him over regular right wing-back Manuel Lazzari.

Veteran defender Felipe has signed as a free agent from Udinese and he brings a wealth of Serie A experience to the newly-promoted side while Alfred Gomis has arrived on loan from Torino. The 24-year-old goalkeeper has played all of his senior football in Serie B and he was at Salernitana during the 2016-17 campaign, playing 21 league games and keeping 11 clean sheets.

Although the club prided itself on having an all-Italian side last season, SPAL are looking to adapt to the rigours of top flight football.

Not all of the players acquired are not household names, but the Biancazzurri are quickly assembling a team that can at least compete with Italy’s elite.

 

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