One shines, the other sees everything black. One has been traveling at a thousand miles per hour for two years, it is the reign of continuity, good play and a job done properly, the other has recently changed coach and is experiencing complicated moments with the penultimate and unexpected place in the standings. Enrico Nicolini knows them both: in Catanzaro and Ascoli he left indelible marks. Him with another double ex, the immense Carlo Mazzone. Or like his friend Francesco Scorsa, from Catanzaro from Soverato and flag of the Marches who passed away on the same day as “Sor Carlo”.
«This would certainly have been Mazzone’s match – said Nicolini – who in Catanzaro proved to be a great coach and in Ascoli he went further because he wrote the most profound history of that club. The great Ascoli is his creation and it would have been nice to have both him and my friend Ciccio Scorsa in the stands.”
There is a very long thread that links Nicolini, Mazzone, Catanzaro and Ascoli, Soverato and Scorsa: «I am the player with the highest number of appearances with Mazzone on the bench, 196. I had him in Catanzaro, he took me to Ascoli, then to Bologna, so I was his technical collaborator at Brescia, he was a second father to me. As for Scorsa, in addition to having played together, he was from Soverato, a center of which I am an honorary citizen and where I return every year. From a footballing point of view I consider myself lucky because I was a great protagonist in the best moments in the history of the two clubs. A good bond has remained with Ascoli but I don’t go there often, with Catanzaro the relationship still continues today.”
The day after tomorrow it will practically be a spin: «Catanzaro is no longer a surprise, rather it is a reality of the championship. Thanks to some unsuccessful attempts by the pacesetters, the team is in a position not only to occupy a playoff position, but also to look further ahead. Of course, the tournament is still very long, but you never know. And Iemmello’s injury can be made up for in the short term. For Ascoli the moment is much tougher, I believe they will give everything to win, but the environment is in fibrillation, the change of coach from Viali to Castori has not yet brought benefits. I must say that I didn’t expect this situation, there were different conditions and it didn’t seem like such a poor team to me that it would have to fight for the playouts.”
In January both will be able to intervene on the market, the Eagles perhaps to further strengthen themselves with a more ambitious perspective: «When things are going well, bringing in new signings can be a problem because there is a risk of cracks forming in the locker room, so it is right to make targeted additions with complementary and hyper-motivating players, aware that in Catanzaro we need to make ourselves available to Vivarini and sweat to carve out space.”
There will also be a lot to sweat on Saturday at the “Del Duca”, also because Serie B can always reserve surprises: «It’s a difficult match to interpret, both have the possibility of getting a result. I imagine the hosts with blood in their eyes, Catanzaro must not underestimate them because Ascoli also has values. In short, may the best win with the hope – concluded Nicolini – that both achieve their goals at the end of the season”.
