It was a case of so close yet so far for Carpi in their first ever season in Italy's top flight. The very fact that this tiny unheralded club was within one goal of securing safety in their debut season in Serie A is something of an achievement in itself but the fans obviously won't see it that way. The cold hard truth is that Carpi will be going back to the cold hard reality of Serie B but that doesn't tell the full story of the very respectable fight they put up over the course of the campaign. It didn't start out too well with a 5-2 opening day defeat at Sampdoria and they picked up just two points from their opening six games - a run which was bookended by another hammering against Roma. In truth, Carpi looked out of their depth at this level and the club decided to sack Fabrizio Castori after the Roma game, believing that Giuseppe Sannino was more equipped to lead the side given his experience in Serie A relegation battles. However, he failed to live up to expectations and didn't improve the team at all so his stint was shortlived. The club reappointed Castori and would go on to regret ever getting rid of him in the first place. Carpi went unbeaten for five games in February and March including two crucial wins over fellow relegation rivals Frosinone and Hellas Verona. Those results and the ongoing crisis at Palermo meant that Carpi were in the driver's seat to get out of trouble. Unfortunately, a couple of difficult games cropped up in the run-in and Palermo suddenly hit form to eventually relegate Castori's men on the final day of the season. It was a gallant effort from this team of unknowns and journeymen. Kevin Lasagna was the most memorable performer with some crucial goals, often against the bigger clubs and often off the bench.
