Sunday, January 15th. Atleti Azzurri Stadium in Bergamo. Italian Serie A Championship. Atalanta, at the top of the table, versus Salenirtana, at the bottom.
The defeat of the visiting team, unlucky in the match, was even expected, it would be the logical result. And it happened. But not in the way expected.
The 8 to 2 (6 to 1 in the first half) was the second worst defeat in the history of the more than centenary (in existence since 1919) club from Salerno. Worse than that, only in the 1948/1949 season, in a duel for the second division, 8 to 1 for SPAL.
The humiliation was too much for Salernitana president Danilo Iervolino. In the early hours of Monday, the announcement was made that coach Davide Nicola had been sacked.
Iervolino declared that he needed to take some action due to the team’s dismal performance.
“After a defeat like that, in which I didn’t feel like [do time] to react, I felt the need to change. And all you can do is change the coach.”
The president stated that, in the hours that followed Nicola’s departure, the search for a replacement began, talking to professionals interested in assuming the role. “A hundred technicians volunteered for us,” he declared, possibly exaggerating.
He would have spoken with Rafa BenÃtez (ex-Liverpool, Inter Milan, Chelsea and Real Madrid), Roberto D’Aversa (ex-Sampdoria) and Leonardo Semplici (ex-Cagliari).
In the meantime, there was an important interference, from the sporting director of Salernitana, the former goalkeeper Morgan de Sanctis. Contrary to the decision that removed Nicola, he acted behind the scenes to try to get around the situation.
On one front, he kept in touch with the dismissed coach, in order to find out if he would accept to resume the position, in case the presidency reconsidered.
On another front, he tried to convince his superior, Iervolino, that an accident on the road should not jeopardize work that was considered satisfactory internally.
It worked. The president thought, reassessed the situation, contacted the coach who had saved Salernitana from relegation the previous season (in a campaign marked by a reaction in the second round) and on Tuesday Nicola was readmitted.
“Something practically unique in the world of football has happened,” said Iervolino. “Nicola admitted his mistakes. He wanted to go back to work and said how much he loves this city [Salerno].”
“You only realize how much you love someone when they’re away,” he continued. “So, for the good of the club, the players and everyone else, it’s only fair that the coach is given one more chance, with the promise that the team will never again suffer such a humiliating defeat as the one in Bergamo.”
Nicola, 49, was grateful to be given a second chance.
“I thank the president for calling me. It means that the new football is made of passion and heart, and I want to repay his trust with all my love. We have weeks of hard work ahead of us to reach our goals”, he wrote on the social network.
There was no enumeration of goals, but the main one, in the coming months, is to avoid relegation.
“Let’s all start over together”, Nicola cheered, “and tell another extraordinary football story. This is Salerno, this is Salernitana, much more than a football club.”
The restart, however, promises to be arduous.
The first game of the “old new” coach will be this Saturday (21), no less than against Napoli, leader of Italy and one of the best European teams this season.
Napoli have 47 points, 29 more than Salernitana, 16th among the 20 participants in the championship.
As a seasoned news journalist, I bring a wealth of experience to the field. I’ve worked with world-renowned news organizations, honing my skills as a writer and reporter. Currently, I write for the sports section at News Bulletin 247, where I bring a unique perspective to every story.
