Serie A Weekly club previews continue with Palermo, written by our resident Rosanero master, Lorenzo Vicini. 2010-2011 Recap A roller coaster ride that truly defined the Palermo colors of rosa and nero summed up the previous season for the Sicilian side. Palermo stayed in the race for Champions League football up until February when things came crashing down. After exiting the Europa League at the group stages, Palermo focused on their domestic objectives. The hope for a Champions League quickly [...]

2010-11 Recap In their first season back in Serie A since 1990, the belief was the Seahorses would only enjoy their stay in the top flight for all of 38 games. After three weeks in, Cesena were the darlings of Serie A, sitting atop the table alongside Inter. The experience at the top didn’t last for long and the club became embattled in the relegation race late in the season. Yet, Cesena went on a fantastic run during the final [...]

After drawing 2-2 in the first leg in Palermo, the Rosanero made the trip to Switzerland knowing that they would need a win against FC Thun in order to guarantee a spot in the next round of the Europa League. The club was hoping to avoid another repeat of the Mladá Boleslav debacle from a few years earlier when Palermo crashed out very early in the UEFA Cup against the minnows from the Czech Republic. Yet, the memories from the [...]

Transfer market season is always chock-full of speculation and surprises. Often, the overwhelming majority of rumors that find their way into mainstream media outlets never come to fruition. With a number of prized assets on the Palermo roster and the team’s policy of steady turnover each year, the transfer window is always seen with a skeptical eye especially for the most astute Palermo supporter. The winds of change swept over Palermo at the end of last season as a new [...]

As the final whistle sounded, the Dino Manuzzi exploded into delirium. Not only had Cesena just earned a 1-0 win over Brescia but, most importantly, it signified that the Seahorses would be playing in Serie A the following season. It was a remarkable feat for a club that many had pegged to be immediate relegation candidates prior to any games being played. Now, heading into the 2011-12 season, Cesena aim to preserve their place amongst the others in Italy’s top [...]

With the dust barely settled on last season’s campaign, Palermo have already taken to the field in preparation for next season. The Stefano Pioli era has officially begun as the squad met in Malles, a small town tucked away in the Trentino-Alto Adige region less than a hundred kilometers away from the Swiss-Austria border. Not only are the Rosanero under the guidance of a new coach, the destination of Malles is a change of scenery from past preseasons at Bad [...]

On October 24, 2010, Antonio Cassano took to the field with Sampdoria in a crucial match against a then-second place Inter side. At the Giuseppe Meazza, the Bari-born fantasista was instrumental once again, delivering a pinpoint perfect cross to Stefano Guberti which temporarily gave Sampdoria a 1-0 lead. Inter would score an equaliser with ten minutes left in the game and both teams earned a point. Cassano’s solid performance kept the Genovese side in seventh place and more importantly in [...]

“I prefer to close out the season, remembering that, according to what we’ve said to the president, I will surely remain at Palermo next year as well.” These were the words spoken by Palermo starlet Javier Pastore towards the end of last season. Naturally, the talented trequartista was continually asked throughout the entire season whether or not he would be moving on, and each time he provided a similar response. Javier wanted one more year with the Rosanero before a [...]

All week we will be unveiling the winners of our Team of the Year voting with a mixture of regular and guest writers. Mattia Cassani has exhibited all the qualities of a great right back for the Rosanero, earning him accolades and acknowledgment as one of Serie A’s best at the position. Possessing a quiet leadership that earned him the vice-captaincy at Palermo to go along with superb technical abilities, Mattia commands the right line week in and week out. [...]

Once the final whistle blew in the Coppa Italia final loss on May 29th, Palermo have set out to answer many of the question marks surrounding the team this offseason. Despite leading the Rosanero to success in the past two seasons, Delio Rossi and Maurizio Zamparini mutually agreed to go their separate ways. The decision came down to a divergence in opinion over squad philosophy and personnel. As a result, the coaching vacancy was immediately filled with now former Chievo [...]

Serie A has already saluted the 2010-11 season and many teams are already planning for 2011-12. Part of the planning process takes into account that timeless fixture that is truly a staple of Serie A: the coaching carousel. Many of last season’s coaches have either already been sacked or departed on their own terms and only a select few managed to confirm their spots on the bench for next season. It seems that this year, more than most in recent [...]

After succumbing to a loss to Chievo on the final match day of the Serie A season, Delio Rossi was asked if the result had him worried ahead of the all-important Coppa Italia final with Inter. The Palermo tactician replied with the typical wit and wisdom that has endeared him to the Rosanero population for two seasons now: “I would be worried if I didn’t know my team, instead I’m disappointed. We just have to reset and the lads know [...]