CESENA 2014-15 review

Coppa Italia: Fourth Round / Team rating: 3 / Top scorer: Defrel (9)

The Romagna-based outfit’s time in Serie A was short-lived, as a squad full of heart did not quite have the quality to avoid relegation, writes Suhayl Al-Sammari.

Defensive woes lead to the drop

Cesena’s first season back in Serie A will not be looked back on with any great fondness, as the club failed to make its mark after securing promotion to the top flight.

Mimmo Di Carlo’s charges looked somewhat out of their depth and could never quite pull themselves away from the relegation dogfight, eventually succumbing to the inevitable in Week 35 with a home defeat to Sassuolo. The club went out with a whimper, succumbing to a 5-0 thrashing at Torino in their final top flight fixture.

The Seahorses were stuck in the drop zone from Week 9 and despite the best efforts of top scorer Gregoire Defrel, could not haul themselves to safety. Despite a promising opening day win against Parma, Cesena’s season soon began to unravel.

Whilst the club earned a respectable 1-1 draw at home to AC Milan one month later, the fans had to wait until late January for a second victory.

Indeed Cesena recorded the fewest victories in the division. A defence that conceded 73 goals did little to help the cause, whilst the attack was blunted without an out and out goalscorer.

Despite their woes, some bright sparks have emerged this season. Carlos Carbonero and Luka Krajnc will both hope to have caught the eye of bigger sides and secure a transfer in the summer. Meanwhile, Defrel and the precocious Franco Brienza showed moments of magic at certain points of the season, but lacked the consistency to save the Cavallucci Marini.

There is enough within this Cesena squad to suggest that with the right signings and some luck, they could bounce straight back up. It remains to be seen whether Di Carlo will remain at the helm, but it has been a steep learning curve for the Coach and his players.

The Coach - Pierpaolo Bisoli (Weeks 1-14), Domenico Di Carlo (Weeks 15-38)

Replaced Pierpaolo Bisoli in December after his predecessor recorded just one Serie A win. However, despite some improvement, his failure to record another victory until late January meant that Cesena were doomed. Di Carlo has the tenacity and experience to lead the Cavallucci Marini back into Serie A however, with fans expecting the side to challenge for an instant return.

Player of the Year - Gregoire Defrel

His nine goals offered some hope to Cesena, whilst he linked up well at times with Brienza and Milan Djuric. His finishing was cool and composed, whilst he looked to use his pace to get behind defences as much as possible. The Frenchman enjoyed a decent personal season, despite the woes of the club, and looks set for a return to Serie A with a transfer in the summer.

Did you know?

- Cesena recorded the fewest wins in Serie A, with only four victories.

- After their opening day win, Cesena went 148 days without victory until they defeated Parma on January 25.

- Cesena had the joint-worst defensive record in Serie A along with Parma, conceding 73 goals.

Squad