The opponent’s corner | Torres, discovering Siena
New championship round, new opponent. For the eighth day of Group B of Serie Cthere Torres hosts the leaders at the “Vanni Sanna” Siena. The Tuscans are perhaps the real revelation of the championship, especially by virtue of the performances of last season in Serie C. The bianconeri were mathematically saved only on the penultimate day, after a not brilliant tournament. Today, in what is their second consecutive season in Lega Pro, after the repechage from Serie D in the summer of 2021, the Tuscans changed their tune. Great credit goes to the work of the company of the new president Emiliano Montanari (took over Siena in June 2022), which operated intelligently and decisively on the market. So let’s go and discover the opponents of the Torres in the next round.
The coach and the module
After the settlement of the new property, the Siena he moved in search of a new coach. President Montanari himself revealed that he received, in this sense, a negative response from Zdeněk Zeman. But for the Tuscans, the rejection of the Bohemian opened a new path. License plate Guido Pagliucalast year at the Lucchese. In fact, he is the main architect of the Bianconeri’s exciting start to the season. Great attention to the defensive department (only 1 goal conceded, best defense of the entire Serie C) and cynicism in the last meters are the trademarks of this Siena. Pagliuca has always favored a four-man defense, which he also repeated in the first league games. On 4-3-2-1, the famous “Christmas tree”, turned out to be the perfect outfit for her Siena. But the adaptability of the players and the work of Pagliuca allow the Tuscans to adopt differentiated solutions. Come on the last day against Cesena. From 1 ‘of the second half Pagliuca has in fact deployed the Siena with 3-5-2after replacing Picchi (central midfielder) with Riccardi (central defender).
The Rose
During the summer market there was an important job of the Sienaled by the new sporting director Ernesto Salvini, previously at Frosinone. Numerous inbound and outbound movements. The aim was to rejuvenate the squad and consequently lower the amount of salaries. But without forgetting the quality and above all the planning. The team led by Pagliuca is therefore composed of both “category” elements and young talents. So let’s get to know them, department by department.
Between the poles
In the door there is only one name: Ivan Lanni. Holder, captain and a fixed point not only on the pitch but also in the locker room. The expert goalkeeper (32 years old), last year with the bianconeri kept a clean sheet 13 times in 38 matches. Very good too in neutralizing penalties: 13 those completed in career. Of these, 6 are the penalties he saved in Serie B, in his experiences with Ascoli and Grosseto. On the other side of the spot there are players like Romulo (champion of Italy with Juve) and Ciccio Caputo, Sampdoria striker.
The defence
As mentioned, defense is Siena’s strong point. This is why it is not surprising that Pagliuca has never altered the balance. In fact, they took the field in the championship always the same four owners: Alessandro Favalli, Luca Crescenzi, Luigi Silvestri and Alessandro Raimo. The two power plants, Crescenzi and Silvestri, blast solidity and experience. The first, Lazio school, arrived in Siena in January 2022 from Como. He was the captain of the Lombards in the year of promotion to Serie B in 2021. Crescenzi knows how to win in Lega Pro. Silvestri came to this estate from another important place: Avellino. In the two years in Campania he was one of the pillars of the defense, overcoming the 50 appearances in the green jersey. For him it was a return to Siena, where he played in the 2015/2016 season. Also decisive in the opposing area: 9 goals among the professionals. Not male for a defender. Mix of experience and lightheartedness on the flanks. Favalli (29 years old) ex Parma, Padova and Cremonese, guarantees solidity on the left wing. Alessandro Raimo instead brings freshness on the right wing. The young full-back guarantees a good push and also good technical skills. His the only dangerous shot towards Cesena’s goal in the last league matcharrived with the left-handed from just inside the area after a good personal cue.
Even the security rear, with Davide Riccardi, Udinese school and Verona arrived from Triestina, which can be used to pass the defensive line to three. To be seen if he will be deployed for the first time from the first minute. In fact, Crescenzi is struggling with some problems with his flexors, as communicated by the company on its official channels.
The midfield
It is the youngest, most interesting and renewed department of the team. In the first 7 days Pagliuca fielded 5 different midfield thirds, with Riccardo Collodel to come only fixed presence. The young man (23 years old) from Cremonese can play in all positions of the midfield with three of the Tuscans. A midfielder with a good physique and tactical intelligence, he is a key element for Pagliuca. Among the other most used players we find Giuseppe Leone and Davide Buglio. Leone arrived in ownership outright from Juventus. The young midfielder (21 years old) was used as the pivot of the midfield, in front of the defense. Considered by many to be one of the best prospects of his role, he played in Juventus Under23 (now Juventus Next Gen) alongside Miretti, Soulé and Fagioli, today at Allegri’s court in Serie A. The young bianconero has not yet found the goal among the professionals, as he is more inclined to set up the game from below. Buglio, from the Inter school, played mainly as a right midfielder. Even though in the last game he was behind the striker, a role he was successfully filled last season as well. To underline his great adaptability. He arrived in the summer transfer market from Padua, after spending last season on loan at Monterosi, with whom he played in the playoffs. This season he has already scored a brace against Imolese and packaged an assist. Dynamic player, he is complementary to the characteristics of Collodel and Leone, with particular skills of insertion without the ball and a not bad southpaw.
In the last match played the owner Alberto Peaks (born in 1997), great-grandson of the legend Armando Picchi, captain of Angelo Moratti’s Grande Inter. Used by Pagliuca as a left midfielder, Picchi associates an imposing physique (he is 1.85m tall) with a great run and a decent propensity to score. What calls himself a modern midfielder. For him, at the time of the Empoli youth teams, there was also an attempt by Porto to make him play tournaments with the Dragoes. But the Tuscans refused, with Giampaolo who added him to the first team.
Behind the tip
Lots of quality on the trocar. 6 times out of 7 Pagliuca relied on the Disanto-Belloni couple. Except in the last game, where Disanto acted as an attack terminal and Buglio was joined by Belloni, as already mentioned. Francis Disanto is currently the best scorer of the Tuscans, with 3 goals, already equaling his personal tally of last year, always with the bianconeri. An imaginative, technical player, this is probably Siena’s added value in this start. A curiosity linked to him: born in Florence, as a professional he always played in Tuscany, also wearing the Arezzo shirt.
The number 10 Niccolò Belloni, left handed Inter school, complete the pair. Stramaccioni hit Stramaccioni with his speed and dribbling skills which made him debut at the San Siro in the Coppa Italia against Roma. Always ready to take over, Marco Frediani is a luxury asset for the category. Raised in the Roma youth academy, the former Parma attacking midfielder guarantees technique and experience.
The attack
It is the department with the most problems. Andrea De Paoli and Davide Arras (ex Cagliari and Olbia), both scoring this season, are struggling with fairly serious injuries. Pierluca Luciani is also out. The weight of the attack therefore falls entirely on Alberto’s shoulders Paloschi. Shoulders to say the least reliable. The former Milan striker is on the road to recovery after an injury and Pagliuca hopes to be able to use him from the first minute against Torres. The former Parma, SPAL and Chievo (with even a brief spell at Cagliari), has already scored 2 goals, finding a joy that was missing for 220 days from the last scoring, after yet another calf injury. Siena relies on Paloschi. He who, at the first in Serie A, gave the victory to Ancelotti’s Milan with a goal after only 18 ” from entering the field scored by the bianconeri. Football is strange, some would say.
Andrea Finiu