Torino can look back on their 2018/19 campaign with great pride, having enjoyed a season that may have saw them end up with European football in most other years.
A seventh place finish with 63 points and being one of the best-drilled and tough-to-beat sides in the division was testament to the fine job that Walter Mazzarri did throughout.
There were some moments to be proud of along the way: an eight-game unbeaten run, a stand-up performance in the derby the day before Superga’s 70th anniversary and going undefeated against the likes of Atalanta, Inter and Milan.
It was a season that the Granata can take much away from and look to build on it from a position of strength.
Player of the Season: Armando Izzo
The 27-year-old took to Turin like a duck to water and in his debut season at the club, performed above all expectations of him. While he was an impressive player at Genoa, he elevated his game to another level with the Granata and was as reliable as it gets at the back – a key man in his side’s rock solid back-line. Salvatore Sirigu, Andrea Belotti and Nicolas N’Koulou all run him close but he narrowly gets the nod.
Best Signing: Soualiho Meite
Given that Izzo qualified for this award too, it is only fair to look to another standout signing for this section and it goes to Meite, given that Nkoulou making his loan move permanent isn’t quite enough to consider him a ‘new’ signing.
By virtue of playing more than Ola Aina (also a smart acquisition), the midfielder has the edge, much like Torino do in the exchange deal for Antonio Barreca that brought the 25-year-old to Italy.
He started the season like a house on fire, endearing himself early with a goal against Inter in Milan, and while he dipped a little towards the end, the Granata can be happy with their business on this one.
The Coach: Walter Mazzarri
After an iffy start with just two wins in the opening seven games, Mazzarri soon found his formula and set about making Torino a team that may not always have been easy on the eye but who would give you nothing easily. His three-man defence proved tough to break down for many sides and they conceded an average of 0.97 goals per game, well below the norm for the league of 1.34. He has now firmly won around any remaining doubters and his speech after the final game about how the club has consumed him was fantastic to hear.
Memorable Moment
Oh captain, my captain. Shortly after proving his leadership qualities in how he conducted himself as skipper as the club commemorated Superga’s 70th anniversary, he showed his class on the field too. That was when he struck a stunning overhead kick against Sassuolo to clinch the club’ s goal of the season award, winning the game and keeping the European dream alive in a moment charged with emotion. It was also the second such strike of his career against the Neroverdi!
The Bad
The only real negative from the season for Toro is not having European football to show for their efforts at the end of it. Their points tally of 63 would have been enough to secure continental nights in any year of the past decade but Lazio’s Coppa Italia success (having finished outside those positions) put paid to that.
Look around other leagues. In England, Wolves snatched Europa League football with 57 points, while Getafe and Espanyol achieved it in Spain with 59 and 53 respectively. Classic Toro, really.
