Serie C new season is starting with a big match: Catania - Crotone, Elephants against Sharks.
Crotone (important town of 50.000 people on the Calabrian Ionian coast) last year played a great season in Serie C arriving second with 80 points, only behind Catanzaro then promoted in Serie B.
Despite loosing at the playoff, Crotone decided to start the new season with the same coach, Lamberto Zauli, former player of Vicenza and Palermo in the late 90s. They will found a revamped Massimino stadium full of fans, excited of having the Elephants back in Serie C. It is expected to have the full house as more than 13,000 memberships have been sold so far, numbers comparable to a Seria A team.
There is a lot of curiosity for this first Catania FC match as the team has been totally changed from last year, starting from the coach Luca Tabbiani (44 years old, born in Genoa), a former player of Cremonese in the early 2000s who joins Catania after 3 years coaching at Fiorenzuola where, with a low budget team, managed to express an high quality football. Catania is the first big team in his career and this time he will have a top team available. In fact, as a goalkeeper Catania has taken Livieri from Pisa (Serie B), a keeper raised in the youth team of AC Milan, when he was the back up of Donnarumma (the current PSG and Italy keeper).
In defence, Catania has taken Mazzotta from Bari (Serie B) who played in Serie A for Cesena and in various teams in Serie B including Crotone and Catania 8 years ago, the Argentianian Curado from Perugia (Serie B) who also played 2 years for Crotone and Quaini from Fiorenzuola (Serie C), a player that used to be midfielder at Pisa and that Tabbiani transformed to a successfull defender.
In midfield, Catania has taken Ladinetti from Pontedera (Serie C), who has played in Serie A for Cagliari, Rocca from Novara (Serie C), who has played in Serie A for Sampdoria and Zammarini from Pordenone (Serie C).
In outfield, Catania has now a magic trio: Di Carmine from Perugia (Serie B), who has played in Serie A for Fiorentina,Verona and Cremonese and Crotone in Serie B, Chirico' from Crotone too and Marsura from Ascoli (Serie B).
In their history, Crotone has already played 8 times in Catania loosing 7 times in a row and drawing last one in Serie B in 2015 (see below Mazzotta playing that game for Catania). Let's hope for a great win in front of Mr President Ross Pelligra who is going to be in Tribuna A supporting his team.
Go Elephants Go!
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