Coaches and managers are in the balance, many players are not and they represent the basis from which to start again. Much, obviously, will then depend on the choices of coach Aquilani, disputed by Sassuolo and Torino (yesterday there would have been a meeting with Granata president Cairo and sporting director Petrachi), and on how the confrontation between sporting director Polito and the owners will go next week. But whoever arrives – old or new – will not have to rebuild from scratch.
Of the 27 players with whom Catanzaro reached the Serie A playoff final, one is out of contract, five are on loan, the others are all assets of the club. Captain Iemmello, the midfielders Pontisso, Petriccione and Pompetti, the winger Di Francesco, whose loan with obligation to buy became automatic at the first point in the standings (i.e. on the first matchday), the goalkeeper Pigliacelli and his “third” Borrelli, the striker Koffi, have an agreement valid until the end of next season (30 June 2027). The 2027 horizon also concerns two of the five loans who will return to the base, but to leave again, probably on a permanent basis: the full-back Morleo (from Bra) and the winger Volpe (from Giugliano). Deadline 2028 for the defenders Antonini, Brighenti, Verrengia and Bashi, the wingers Frosinini, D’Alessandro and Esteves, the second goalkeeper Marietta, the midfielder Alesi and the attacker Pittarello: there is also no shortage of key players in this group, from Brighenti to Alesi and Pittarello. The agreements with the striker Buso, who will return from his costly loan to Mantua, the midfielder Maiolo (from Cavese) and the striker Arditi (from Siracusa) would also be valid until 30 June 2028.
The conclusion of the contracts of Favasuli and Liberali, i.e. the two most valuable pieces, is set for 2029. The Calabrian winger made his debut for the senior national team in Luxembourg last night and has a very long list of admirers like the one for the playmaker, who is simply predestined (yes Liberals there would be Torino again, like last summer). Of the loans, the only one who has a right of redemption (which will not be exercised) is the midfielder Buglio, signed by Juve Stabia. The others are all dry, three of them from Como: Cassandro (among the best defenders of the tournament), Fellipe Jack and Rispoli. Cisse is from Milan, Nuamah from Sassuolo. For some of them (the trio from Como, not to mention Cisse) trying again would make sense, but if the issues regarding the coach and the sporting director aren’t resolved first, it can’t even be hypothesized.
The situation of the two Frenchmen is completely different, and they will certainly not be part of the plans for next season: Oudin will be free to leave from 1 July, Seha would be bound until 2029, but he didn’t even make an impact in the Spring. The final measures from the sports judge after the second leg of the playoffs in Monza: a one-match disqualification for Pontisso and Frosinini and for deputy Agnelli.
