Football Season Guide

After the troubled 2023/2024 campaign, which at some point saw them seriously flirting with relegation, Bastia offered themselves a very quiet last season, characterized above all by a great defensive solidity. In fact, they kept 14 clean sheets and conceded just 37 goals, with the 3 promoted sides only doing better, and were very hard to beat, especially in home soil. On the other hand, they were poor when travelling, they only won away twice, and simply drew too many games, 15! Certainly, also due to the lack of a prolific striker. Therefore, they had to content themselves with an honorable final 8th place, while at some stage a playoff finish looked feasible. Coach Benoît Tavenot was thus logically confirmed at the helm for the new season. Bastia adopted a low-profile attitude during the transfer campaign, trying to maintain the squad’s back-bone untouched, while adding some new prospects. First of all, 3rd-choice goalkeeper Maisonnial was released and 19-year-old Olmeta arrived on loan from Lille, but he should not see the pitch much. Back-up left-back Tavares was also let go after hardly ever playing last season and he should not be missed. The midfield saw back-up Maggiotti’s departure. In fact, it was expected more from the new Laval player who was regularly given playing time until February and then disappeared from the radars. They should have enough alternatives on the squad, with Loubatières returning from his stint at Istres, while Zaouai is not deemed ready yet. Right winger Tramoni is the sole starter to have quit the club so far. He was a protagonist until January but subsequently played less and less, failing to be called up in most of the final games. Sebas could thus be given more playing time while Karamoko, arriving from the lower leagues, could also become a protagonist. 19-year-old winger Aiki and striker Boumaaoui also left, after leaving no mark, while the newly-arrived striker, 27-year-old Parravicini, will have to prove his worth after years spent in the lower tiers of Italian football.