Ready, steady, go, we’re off again. This afternoon, at 18,30:XNUMX pm in the ‘Picco’ basin, the Spezia will embrace his people again on the occasion of the Coppa Italia derby with the SampdoriaThe main objective of the whites is, by the coach’s admission, D’Angelo, “to win and advance to the next round.” This would mean confirming the supremacy over their Genoa cousins, as demonstrated last season. But the Aquilotta team will be closely monitored, evaluating their physical and psychological fitness ahead of the even more important league debut on August 24th against Carrarese. All eyes will be on the current physical and technical standards of each individual, but also on their resilience in terms of personality, competitive spirit, and determination after the painful defeat in the final against Cremonese. Despite the clichés, it’s clear that such a disappointment will leave some lasting impressions on the players and the fans. Today’s match will be an opportunity to take the first step towards reviving their ambitions and goals, resetting the past. It won’t be easy to start from the ground floor after having reached the top, but the sooner this is acknowledged, the better for everyone. It must be said, to avoid any misunderstanding, that it will be difficult to repeat last season’s impressive campaign, if only because they will lack the contribution of a star player like Pio Esposito, who alone, with his 19 goals, accounted for 33 percent of the team’s scoring average (59 total goals scored). It is, however, true that in addition to the primary focus on staying up, there must always be a constant eye on the ambitions of reaching the top of the table. This is due to the growth Spezia has experienced over the past 14 years, with three Serie A and eleven Serie B campaigns played, and a fantastic fan base that has purchased nearly seven thousand season tickets.

The first stage of this ambitious journey will begin this afternoon, when the Aquilotti will have to demonstrate their traditional competitive spirit combined with effective playmaking. It won’t be an easy debut, given the six players unavailable: Bandinelli, Vignali, Cassata, Vlahovic (the latter two are expected to return against Carrarese), Zurkowski (who is merely suffering from fatigue), and Sarr. In goal, 19-year-old Mascardi, making his competitive debut, will replace Sarr. In defense, Wisniewski, Hristov, and Cistana will be the starting lineup, with Mateju deployed to the right and Aurelio on the opposite flank. Esposito will be the controlling midfielder, supported by Nagy, with Candelari (or Kouda) potentially operating as an attacking midfielder, and Artistico and Di Serio serving as attacking ends. On the sidelines, the transfer market remains active, with Loria and Sernicola (or Beruatto) the priority targets.