Emergency. It may be for just one match, but the substance doesn’t change. Added to Situm’s injury is Oliveri’s new and obligatory forfeit: the FIGC Sports Court of Appeal rejected Catanzaro’s complaint, confirming the three-match ban for the player. Who will therefore also have to miss the trip to Bari after serving the first two rounds against Lecco and Parma. For coach Vivarini a big problem and a new cold shower following the defeat suffered last Sunday: on the right wing there is only one role player available, Katseris. The decision of the Federal Justice Department was communicated mid-afternoon, a couple of hours after the hearing which was held via videoconference (at 2pm). The club was represented by lawyer Eduardo Chiacchio, who had prepared and presented the appeal on 6 September.
Without Situm (who will be out for about two months) and the boy loaned from Atalanta, in whom Vivarini had shown a certain confidence in the first three league outings, the only natural solution on the right is therefore Katseris. The Greek could also be a starter regardless of the formation chosen by the Abruzzo coach: full-back or right winger in midfield. It is not the only solution, but the others seem even more unscrupulous.
However, the Greek is not a rookie: it is true that he has played little in the league so far – 24′ in Cremona, 33′ with Lecco –, but having someone like Situm in front inevitably reduces the spaces. However, Katseris had been a credible alternative last season, which began by surprising everyone in the trial period during the training camp in Camigliatello, then continued with fifteen appearances, one goal and two assists. The 22-year-old has leg, pushes, has pronounced attacking qualities and a good personality.
In the next few days he will be able to play his chances. Katseris is the most natural card to throw onto the table, not the only one. Brighenti would be adaptable in the lane, but between his pace which is not that of a full-back and, in particular, his importance in the center of the back line in a defensive key and for the setting phase, it is difficult to imagine him being diverted elsewhere. Vivarini also has other opportunities, all unscrupulous, because he has a lot of attackers with an offensive vocation (if not actually attackers), so he could “spend” them as a winger in midfield with someone behind him. Sounas is doing reasonably well starting from the right to centralize (so far to leave the side field to Situm); Brignola was dusted off in the second half against Parma and didn’t make a bad start despite the result achieved by his opponents; Vandeputte can be moved to the right to insert Stoppa on the left; Stoppa himself could be deployed on the right.
In any case, behind them there should be a full-back, namely Katseris. Unless the coach decides to return to the 3-5-2, giving the midfielders more prominent covering duties. All hypotheses to be tested in the field until Sunday.
