Vincenzo Vivarini knows how to start well at home. Even if for “home”, this Sunday, Catanzaro will have to adapt, with few fans and on unfamiliar ground, there are a calendar and statistics to confirm, as well as a long internal unbeaten streak to extend and a bete noire (Cristiano Lucarelli) to clean up. The Giallorossi supporters learned to know the coach immediately: he took over on the bench after Calabro’s sacking, debut at the “Ceravolo” on 5 December 2021 against Zeman’s Foggia, 2-0 victory.
One of the six obtained in internal debuts since the Abruzzese coaches among professionals. The last of these full houses is auspicious: 4-0 at Picerno, the opening words of the last Serie C tournament. It was 4 September a year ago, first on target were Biasci and Iemmello. We know very well how the rest went and who knows if the goal twins won’t be able to replicate the goal together even the day after tomorrow evening.
In Serie B, however, Vivarini hasn’t started winning at home for about six years: with Virtus Entella he lost 1-0 against Spal on 30 November 2020 (he had substituted in the running), at the helm of Ascoli he drew 1-1 with Cosenza on the first day of the 2018-19 tournament, while only with the ‘Empoli managed to win 3-2 over Bari in the 2017-18 championship: that time, after Ciccio Caputo’s brace, the decisive goal was by Alfredo Donnarumma, another one who is charging his batteries for Sunday and who has found Vivarini again to relaunch after a subdued year at Ternana. For the Abruzzo coach there are equals on his home debut with Bari in Serie C (another substitute, 1-1 against Monopoli), two wins out of three with Teramo (between 2013 and 2015), a victory and a defeat with Aprilia in the Second Division, a draw with Chieti (again in C2 in 2010) and a 0-0 draw at the helm of Latina against Spezia in his first experience in Serie B (second day of the 2016-17 tournament) for a balance at “ internal first” which reports six successes, four draws and three defeats.
One versus one
In the head-to-head with Cristiano Lucarelli, however, Vivarini is behind: only one joy (Teramo-Tuttocuoio 2-0 on 14 February 2016), three defeats (including Livorno-Ascoli 1-0 in B, 27 October 2018) and a draw (Catania-Bari 0-0). But the two coaches haven’t faced each other for four years and, above all, Lucarelli has never met Vivarini with this Catanzaro.
Booed as an opponent when he was still a footballer, very close to the Catanzaro bench at the turn of August 15th in 2016 (the deal fell through due to the revolt of the Giallorossi fans), Lucarelli beat the Eagles five times out of eight (three with Catania, one each with Messina and Ternana), he drew once (with Viareggio), but he still remembers the two he lost: a 3-0 against Catania on 18 November 2019 and the 2-1 that ended Ternana’s very long unbeaten run on February 27, 2021. After that last game he had chewed a bit. Making him experience the same feeling again wouldn’t be bad even if for the occasion, unlike the other two, you don’t play at “Ceravolo”.