Football Season Guide

The past couple of seasons were particularly positive for Empoli as they always managed to reach salvation with plenty of advance, often displaying a bright football. If not, at times, the brightest football of the whole Serie A. Coaches Sarri and Giampaolo were the responsible for such impressive results. With Sarri crowned the new king of Naples and Giampaolo now at Sampdoria, Giovanni Martusciello, who was their assistant, was given the reins of the team and he is now expected to lead the team to a further safety, possibly repeating some of the wonders shown in the past campaigns. Unfortunately for him, he will have to make do without many of the protagonists of the recent seasons. In fact, the likes of Skorupski, Mario Rui, Paredes, Zielinski and Tonelli all left, due to the end of loans or lured by some bigger clubs, thus leaving the squad heavily weakened. For such reason, the management tried to replace them with some prospects on loan from clubs like Inter and Juventus, Dimarco and Tello above all, and some highly experienced players like Gilardino and Pasqual, coming off some mixed seasons. Skorupski’s loan was renewed and so the Polish will still be defending the goals. Bellusci or Dimarco, provided Barba does not leave before the end of the transfer campaign, and Pasqual are set to join Laurini and Costa in the back four. Tello should thus be acting in the midfield together with the confirmed Buchel and Diousse, who had disappeared from all radars after impressing in the initial weeks of the past campaign. Saponara, as long as no major offers from other clubs arrive, will be supporting the forward two formed by Pucciarelli and one between Gilardino and the aging Maccarone. The feeling is that they still need to add some quality in the midfield. Moreover, losing Saponara would greatly jeopardize their safety ambitions and that is something to be avoided at all costs.