Football Season Guide

Serie A

Italy

Serie A

2018/2019

Sassuolo

In

Filip Djuricic (mid)(Benevento); Federico Di Francesco (att)(Bologna); Leonardo Sernicola (def)(Ternana); Jens Odgaard (att)(Inter); Gianmarco Ferrari (def)(Sampdoria, end of loan); Marcio Lemos (def)(Las Palmas); Diego Falcinelli (att)(Fiorentina, end of loan); Khouma Babacar (att)(Fiorentina); Marcello Trotta (att)(Crotone, end of loan); Federico Ricci (att)(Crotone, end of loan); Gianluca Scamacca (att)(Cremonese, end of loan); Riccardo Marchizza (def)(Avellino, end of loan); Giovanni Sbrissa (mid)(Cremonese, end of loan); Kevin Prince Boateng (mid)(Eintracht Frankfurt); Mehdi Bourabia (mid)(Konyaspor); Jeremie Boga (mid)(Chelsea); Giangiacomo Magnani (def)(Juventus, on loan); Enrico Brignola (att)(Benevento); Manuel Locatelli (mid)(Milan, on loan); Marlon (def)(Barcelona).

Out

Matteo Politano (r)(att)(Inter); Diego Falcinelli (att)(Bologna); Rogerio (def)(Juventus, end of loan); Leonardo Marson (gk)(Palermo, end of loan); Mota Carvalho (att)(Virtus Entella, end of loan); Francesco Acerbi (k)(def)(Lazio); Luca Mazzitelli (sp)(mid)(Genoa, on loan); Edoardo Goldaniga (r)(def)(Frosinone, on loan); Antonino Ragusa (sp)(att)(Hellas Verona, on loan); Davide Biondini (mid)(Romagna Centro Cesena); Nicholas Pierini (att)(Spezia, on loan); Davide Frattesi (mid)(Ascoli, on loan); Marco Pinato (def)(Venezia, on loan); Simone Missiroli (r)(mid)(SPAL); Marius Marin (mid)(Pisa); Timo Letschert (sp)(def)(FC Utrecht, on loan); Francesco Cassata (mid)(Frosinone, on loan).

The end of the coach Di Francesco era represented more than just a big blow for Sassuolo as in the past campaign they found themselves suddenly flirting with relegation. Giuseppe Iachini, who replaced Christian Bucchi in week 15, eventually led the ship to safety but it was not sufficient for him to get a confirmation. In fact, the management opted for a new man at the helm and hired Roberto De Zerbi. De Zerbi had two horrific experiences in Serie A, with Palermo and Benevento, which ended up in the very same way, relegation. However, while with the Sicilians he found himself in the middle of a one way street leading to disaster, with the Wizards he managed to show some glimpses of decent football. It was just that the squad had not enough quality. For sure, the new coach will be asked to improve Sassuolo scoring records. In the past campaign, they hit the back of the net just 29 times, no team, not even all the relegated sides, did worse than them. Quite disappointingly, with regards to that, they lost Matteo Politano, their top scorer with 10 goals, during the summer. His place as a winger should be taken by Federico Di Francesco, who had a couple of good seasons at Bologna but does not look particularly prolific, and Enrico Brignola, the wunderkind from Benevento, who impressed all experts last season. Sassuolo lost another key player in Francesco Acerbi, the leader of the back four, who left for Lazio. And Edoardo Goldaniga, who also had a starting role last season before getting injured, was loaned out to Frosinone. Gianmarco Ferrari, who is welcomed back after the end of his stay at Sampdoria, should thus be given the keys to the heart of the defence, alongside Marcio Lemos, who tasted some Italian football only late last spring. In the midfield, Luca Mazzitelli was loaned out to Genoa but Sassuolo added to their squad Kevin-Prince Boateng, who could become a leader of the team, provided he is in his best days. More players also arrived, such as Jeremie Boga from Chelsea or Mehdi Bourabia from Konyaspor but they should all spend plenty of time on the bench.

Target

Sassuolo should be involved once again in the fight for survival, especially if players like Domenico Berardi and Kevin-Prince Boateng do not make the difference from the very beginning. Their offensive problems might not have been solved properly and they look weaker at the back.