They aren’t foxes, but dolphins.
Much like Leicester City last year, Delfino Pescara are not favoured to do much in the Italian Serie A. No one is backing them to do anything save for ruffling the feathers of a few giants. Yet, like the Foxes, Pescara have the formula to upset. The could at least emulate fellow Italian club Sassuolo‘s recent successes. With a strong pressing and at times counter attacking mentality, this is a diverse squad that can run, run and run. Youthful enthusiasm carried them through Serie B but with the transfer deadline drawing near, they have splashed the cash on five major signings at either spectrums of their careers; Simone Pepe, Alberto Aquilani, Robert Muric, Jean Cristophe Bahebeck and Stefano Pettinari.
Pescara – Italy’s Next Big Thing
Pepe and Aquilani are the two names that fans of Italian football will be familiar with. Pepe made his mark at Juventus before his career stalled thanks to countless injuries, while Aquilani was dubbed the next Prince of Rome. A mega offer took him to Liverpool where he never looked to settle. He has since been bounced around the Italian top flight with spells at both Milan and Juventus, finally looking comfortable at Fiorentina and much more like the player whom Liverpool sought after.
Alongside Albano Bizzarri, Hugo Campagnaro and Ledian Memushaj, these are the leaders of this club. Bizzarri is that guy you recognize if you’ve played any edition of FIFA from the last 20 years because hey, he was there, and somehow still starts at 38 years old. A fixture in the back for Napoli during their revival for the past several seasons before turning to Inter, Campagnaro was thought to be finished. He surprised many and turned heads leading the defensive line at the Adriatico last season. Memusaj will sound familiar if you watched the Euros this summer – he’s the captain of Pescara, a workhorse in midfield that also stars for Albania’s national side.
What links these veterans together is not just the obvious longevity of their respective careers, but the hardships that they have had to overcome to reach this moment. They aren’t on the Adriatic coast for a holiday, they are in for the fight of their lives to prove all their detractors wrong. Aquilani especially has been the target of much undue criticism throughout his career and will look to silence his demons in what could be his equivalent of a Danny Drinkwater surprise.
New Blood for the Manager
The fascinating thing about these signings is that they are the first large batch of fresh blood injected by manager Massimo Oddo, who inherited the team in the spring of 2015. He is the hometown hero who won glory with Lazio and AC Milan in the early noughties. This came on top of the ultimate glory with Italy in 2006. Young, energetic and yet reserved; he’s that cool teacher you wish you had in elementary school that all your mates got. Meanwhile you’re stuck with the Rafa Benitez-esque substitute.
Much of the team still remains the same from when he took charge. This is an indicator that all the club needed was his tactical prowess and change of atmosphere to make it to the next level. Players like Gianluca Caprari, Alessandro Crescenzi and Dario Zuparic have been in the squad for quite a while. Their chemistry is apparent in terms of how they execute Oddo’s philosophy.
A Relationship with Roma
The ceiling is high for Caprari in particular. He has the potential to be the Italian Jamie Vardy. Deadly and humiliating, all at a high pace. He is as effective finishing as he is creating space and setting up his teammates. A former Roma youth product, Inter came calling and bought him outright from Pescara. They loaned him back to the club for the remainder of this season. The “amicizia” that Roma and Pescara share is quite evident in this edition of the squad. Players either have graduated from the Roma youth team or are presently on loan include the likes of the aforementioned Caprari, Verre, Pigliacelli, Gyömber, Crescenzi and Pettinari. Several of these partook in the Giallorossi’s Primavera title winning squads several years ago, their roots well-founded. Other young players like Bryan Cristante look to impress with their big opportunity to steal first team minutes.
Obviously, the loss of Gianluca Lapadula looms large over this club. Departing for AC Milan with the price tag of €9.0 million, he was thought to be irreplaceable. Muric, Bahebeck (who can also play on the wing) and Pettinari all have come in to replace him. No one knows just how Lapadula’s game will translate to the first division. Frankly, this is a safe gamble on their part. Three for the price of one? Sounds like a deal. Plus, these are players who fit the mould of that high paced, possession based style on the ball; as well as high-pressing counter attacking with out.
Thus, the stage is set for an exciting year on the east coast. If anything, they’ll entertain and as a supporter, what more can one really ask for?
Main Photo:
