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Fano’s title credentials would be challenged once again as they travelled to 3rd place Cremonese. The early leaders had fallen off the pace but their recent form had been reasonable and they would be tough opponents.
Sandy’s Journal Sunday March 5th 2006
Serie C1/A Game 25 Cremonese 2 Fano 4
Despite losing Riccardo Rocchini to injury early on we got off to a fine start with goals from Selva and Giangolini, the latter being the full back’s first goal for the club. But the home side showed fight and determination to come back and square the game before half time. The second period was very even until Paz popped up with two late goals to give us maximum points.
The 36-year-old veteran Rocchini was not seriously injured and would not need to miss the trip to lower-table Padova. That was until he suffered a blow in training, fracturing several ribs in a nasty collision. This painful injury would sideline him for at least a month and opened the door for Frederico Carelli to regain his starting place.
Sandy’s Journal Sunday March 12th 2006
Serie C1/A Game 26 Padova 1 Fano 2
The home side played like a team fighting for their league survival, snapping into tackles and generally making a real nuisance of themselves. The first half ended scoreless but Fredi Carelli celebrated his return to the first team by breaking the deadlock at the start of the second period. But our opponents would not lie down and they forced an equaliser with 20 minutes remaining. Andy Selva had to be removed on a stretcher shortly before they scored and we will await the prognosis but it doesn’t look too good. Just when it looked like they would gain a hard-earned point Paz scored the latest of late goals to get the win.
But Fano’s win was not gained without cost. San Marino international Andy Selva was diagnosed as having torn his knee ligaments and would require surgery and a long layoff before he would return to action. In the lead up to the visit of Pro Patria, Fano were hit with a rash of training injuries for some reason. Pomante, Stefani and Magnani were all struck down and although none of them were automatic picks any more it would reduce Sandy’s option when picking from the bench.
Sandy’s Journal Sunday March 19th 2006
Serie C1/A Game 27 Fano 1 Pro Patria 0
At this point in the season it can be really difficult playing teams near the foot of the table as they are engaged in a fight for survival, trying to climb out of the Playout places. And so it proved against Pro Patria as they battled hard throughout the match. A dour first period ended goalless but Cristiano Luconi, in for the crocked Andy Selva, found the net not long after the restart. It proved to be the only goal of the game and once again we ground out three valuable points.
As Sandy celebrated his birthday with a win, title rivals Reggiana were hitting a slump in form with a defeat and two draws in their last three games opening up a 14-point gap at the top of the table. The excitement and anticipation in and around the Stadio Mancini was palpable as Fano continued their unlikely charge towards Serie B. Sandy felt every bit as excited as the fans and the players but he tried his best to remain calm and assured – not easy when Mirco Giovanelli kept turning up at training sessions with reporters in tow, showing off “my beautiful Fano” and acting as unofficial cheerleader.
Fano’s next opponents were Monza, currently 4th and fighting to hold on to a Playoff place with half a dozen other teams on their coattails.
Sandy’s Journal Sunday March 26th 2006
Serie C1/A Game 28 Fano 2 Monza 1
An incisive passing move gave the visitors the lead after some 15 minutes play and they continued to cause us problems for the remainder of the first half. But after some suitable encouragement during the interval the lads bucked up their ideas in the second period. Luca Puccinelli scored an excellent equaliser showing once again that when he can stay fit he is a very useful player. Fredi Carelli has been playing well since his return to the side and he scored a valuable winner to give us full points.
Fano’s defeat of Monza, coupled with other results in the division, meant that Sandy’s team had guaranteed themselves a place in the Playoffs but the ambitious Scotsman now had eyes only for the title.
Sandy firmly believed that winning, like losing, was a habit and when a team got into a winning streak that it had a snowball effect. The more you win the more you believe that you will win. It was now 21 games since Fano had last tasted defeat and the players were as confident as he had ever seen them. They were dominating the division and Sandy desperately wanted them to drive home their advantage and take the title. He was somewhat frustrated with a two-week gap in the fixture list and the trip to Cesena couldn’t come quickly enough for his liking.
Sandy’s Journal Sunday April 9th 2006
Serie C1/A Game 29 Cesena 1 Fano 1
This was not one of our most convincing displays of the season but for a long time it looked like Francesco Giangolini’s first-half goal would be enough for maximum points. Orlandi was the busier of the two keepers, repelling the home side with a string of fine saves. But he was finally beaten with just under 10 minutes remaining and we had to settle for a point.
Fano prepared for the visit of bottom club Fermana knowing that a win could bring then the Serie C1/A title, depending on how chasing Reggiana fared at Carrarese. Central defender Marco Marinelli would miss the game through suspension so a fit-again Marco Pomante was drafted into defence.
Sandy’s Journal Friday April 14th 2006
Serie C1/A Game 30 Fano 5 Fermana 1
Despite only taking a narrow 1-0 lead into half time we were always in control of this game. Davide Andorno was an inspiration throughout and his goal was a beauty – a long distance free kick that he bent around the defensive wall with power and precision. The game was put beyond doubt with two goals in the first 10 minutes of the second period. The second from Carelli was a peach – a volley from distance that fair fizzed into the net. The visitors did pull a goal back but two penalty awards in three minutes, both converted by Luconi, sealed a fine win. As the final whistle sounded news had already come through that second place Reggiana had been held to a draw meaning that the title was ours. The 6,000 fans inside the Stadio Mancini went crazy and the team performed several circuits of the pitch as they acknowledged their supporters.
The celebrations continued over the weekend with Chairman Mirco Giovanelli leading the partying. But with 4 games still remaining before Fano’s league campaign was complete, Sandy didn’t want the festivities to get out of hand as there was still work to be done – for one thing he wanted to extend his team’s unbeaten record. So it was back into normal training on Monday in preparation for the trip to Pisa.
Sandy’s Journal Sunday April 23rd 2006
Serie C1/A Game 31 Pisa 1 Fano 4 Paz netted his 20th goal of the season to give us the lead virtually straight from the kickoff. The home side equalised midway through the half and we reached the interval all square. But the second period belonged to us. Luconi and Riccio combined superbly for the striker-turned-midfielder to put us into the lead before Paz scored a fine second. An Andorno penalty some 15 minutes from time wrapped up the scoring and gave us our 22nd win of the season.
Sandy was already thinking ahead to the new season in Serie B. He knew that he would have to keep improving the squad if his team was going to have any chance of staying up and the Scouts were actively searching. But the first change to the squad was confirmed prior to the visit of Rimini - Roberto Magnani would be joining Chieti when his contract expired in July. The 29-year-old had joined as a free agent last season and had played well but he had been unable to hold down a starting place in this campaign. Record signing Andrea Faccini had proved himself to be a very steady defender since his arrival but he would miss the next game through suspension. Luca Puccinelli would also be absent having damaged his neck in training.
Sandy’s Journal Sunday April 30th 2006
Serie C1/A Game 32 Fano 4 Rimini 0
This game was as good as over by half time as we were 4-0 ahead and cruising going into the interval. Luconi scored two contrasting goals in the first 30 minutes. His first was a simple tap-in after the keeper could only parry a Carreli pile driver. His second was a powerful shot from some 25 yards that found the top corner as though laser controlled. Sandwiched between these came Tommaso Colombaretti’s first of the season, a well-taken header. It was a shame that Tom had to be taken off near the end and it looks like he won’t play again this season. Young Riccio ended a fine 45 minutes with a neat finish to underline our supremacy.
Two Fano players featured in the Goal of the month awards for April. Carelli voted runner-up and Andorno taking 3rd place, both goals coming in the rout of Fermano. Juventus romped home to the Serie A title with an unassailable lead with two rounds of matches remaining.
Sandy had a dilemma concerning wide midfielder Tommaso Colombaretti. The 25-year-old had reached the end of his contract and the Fano boss was finding it difficult to decide if he should offer a renewal. He was a useful backup player who had never let the team down but he couldn’t command a regular starting spot and Sandy was sure he would never make the grade in Serie B. Finally, after consulting with Dario Sanguin and Peter Beardsley he decided to release the player. There were several players that would be out of contract in the summer and decisions would have to be taken regarding them shortly, but that could wait for the moment. In the meantime he needed to focus on the final two games of the season, the first of which was a trip to Spezia.
Sandy’s Journal Sunday May 7th 2006
Serie C1/A Game 33 Spezia 0 Fano 1
This was another prime example of grinding out a result when not playing all that well, a knack that has served us very well this season. An uneventful first 45 minutes ended scoreless and our winner came in the second period when Andrea Faccini scored his first goal for the club as he rose to head home a corner played in by Andorno.
Fano’s final game of a wonderful season would be at Torres. The home side needed a win to guarantee staying out of the Playouts and Sandy wanted to end the season with a win so both teams had something to play for.
Sandy’s Journal Sunday May 14th 2006
Serie C1/A Game 34 Torres 0 Fano 0
A scoreless draw wasn’t the most spectacular way to end the league season but it was better than a defeat. Had the home keeper not played so well then we would have closed with a win but it’s been a great season anyway.
Having been involved in the end of season Playoffs for the last two years it was quite a novelty to look forward to an early summer break. But first there was one final task – the C1 Super Cup against Serie C1/B champions Crotone. Managed by former Italian international Fabrizio Ravanelli, they had lost out in the Playoffs for the last two seasons but had avoided that fate by winning the league this time around. As always seems to be the case in Italy, the final would be played over two legs. For reasons that Sandy did not understand both legs would be contested at a neutral venue in Naples. The day before the first leg Inter completed a 4-1 aggregate win over neighbours and rivals Milan to lift the Italian Cup.
Sandy’s Journal Sunday May 21st 2006
C1 Super Cup Final 1st Leg Crotone 0 Fano 1
A first half goal from teenager Massimiliano Riccio ensured that we would have a slender lead to defend in the return leg. Both teams contested the match fiercely and the game was finely balance with little to separate them as the scoreline suggests. Both keepers were kept busy and each put in fine displays. Overall the tie is very finely balanced and could go either way yet.
Just prior to the second leg, Lazio missed their chance of European glory, losing the UEFA Cup Final 3-1 to PSV.
Sandy’s Journal Thursday May 25th 2006
C1 Super Cup Final 2nd Leg Fano 2 Crotone 1 (Fano win 3-1 on aggregate)
Inspired by captain Luca Puccinelli who scored the opening goal, we managed to come out on top in another closely fought contest. Our penalty award just after the restart proved to be significant on the day and Davide Andorno showed no signs of nerves as he calmly tucked the spot kick away. Crotone fought back strongly and we had to withstand a lot of pressure in the closing stages of the game but we held on well to lift the trophy and cap a memorable season.
Fano Chairman Mirco Giovanelli was ecstatic as he once again led the celebrations. A league and cup double was beyond his wildest dreams and he let everybody in earshot know just how wonderful he thought his players and manager were. When the dust had settled it became clear that as well as the prestige involved, the best part of €500K had been added to the Fano bank account over the two-legged final.
As Sandy allowed his players to start their summer break early the remaining promotion and relegation issues in Serie C1/A were decided. Fermana took the automatic relegation place with Giulianova and Pistoise losing out in the Playouts. At the other end of the table Cremonese triumphed in the Playoffs to join Fano in Serie B.
In Europe, Arsenal recorded a fine 4-1 win over Real Madrid to lift the Champions League trophy.
Before allowing his staff a well-deserved break, Sandy spent some time with them reviewing the performance of the players this season and making some plans for how they would strengthen the squad moving forward. In the seniors three players in particular had really impressed. Strikers Cristian Pazzi and Andy Selva had formed a good partnership. Paz finished as the club’s top scorer with 21 goals and his strike partner scored 15, despite missing the last two and a half months of the season. Sandy was particularly pleased with Massimiliano Riccio. Having not blossomed as a striker the youngster had adapted brilliantly to his role in midfield and he had contributed an impressive 18 goals during the season. In the youth team Matteo Visentin, Gianluca Amadio and Leonardo Collacchioni had all looked impressive. Striker Visentin scored no fewer that 30 goals as the Under-20 team finished in 3rd place in their league.
When the end-of-season awards were being handed out Sandy was honoured as Manager of the Year and Luca Puccinelli won Goal of the Season for his brilliant solo effort against Giulianova. Cristian Pazzi was named as the Supporters Player of the Year for the second season in succession.
In the World Cup Italy suffered a shock defeat in opening group game, losing 1-0 to Senegal. Then they drew 1-1 with Portugal and qualification was in the balance but a 5-0 defeat of Peru took them through to the knockout stages. In the 2nd Round they required penalties to get past Nigeria after a goalless draw but they then lost 1-0 to Brazil in the Quarter Final. Holland went on to win the competition, beating Brazil 3-1 in the final.
Once the euphoria within the club had started to subside Sandy and his Chairman met to agree their objectives and resources for what could well be a difficult first season in Serie B. Both men agreed that the main objective was to ensure that it would not be their only season in Serie B. The financial situation at the club was reasonably healthy. There was just over €3M in the bank after their successes of last season and a somewhat conservative approach was agreed for transfers and wages. A transfer budget of €1.2M would be made available initially and the wage bill would be capped at €15K a week. Mirco also gave Sandy details of the new sponsorship deal that he had negotiated – €400K a year for the next two years meant that just over half of their projected wage bill would be met by sponsorship alone.
On the playing front Sandy decided to renew the contracts of Marco Pomante, Frederico Carelli and Luca Puccinelli. He thought long and hard about Puccinelli in particular. He had serious concerns about the fitness of the 33-year-old but there was no doubt that his skills and experience were of value. Sandy figured if he could get a dozen good games out of him then that would be a decent deal. The club lost three senior players as Matteo Merloni, Giacomo Biagi and Riccardo Rocchini all retired. In Sandy’s view Rocchini was the only one of the three that would really be missed. By way of compensation both Mirco Di Fiandra and Marco Pierobon arrived as the transfer window opened.
A number of his youngsters had impressed in the Under-20 team last season and he had no hesitation in offering Alessandro Modica, Antonio Corti and Carmine Lorenzini new deals. It was a little disappointing that the academy didn’t produce any quality graduates this year but Sandy supposed that he couldn’t expect a good crop of youngsters every season. At Peter Beardsley’s suggestion the club invested €40K to compensate Rutigliano for 15-year-old central defender Lorenzo Gabrielli.
With the players all now back in full training Sandy began to look at his playing options. He had no intention of moving away from the 4-4-2 style that had served him so well for the last three seasons. He still wanted to strengthen the squad though and with that in mind he was chasing quite a number of players. However he only succeeded in signing two of his targets. Defender Luca Ferri (26) could play in the middle or on the left and he cost a modest €30K from L’Aquila. His second signing required a new club record fee of €350K to be agreed before Reggina would part with forward Stefano Dall’Acqua (25).
Competitive action would begin with group games in the Italian Cup. As always Sandy viewed these as relatively unimportant and the served to get his first team match fit and to try out youngsters or new signings. In the opener against Serie A side Siena his first choice central defensive partnership of Faccini and Marinelli were both suspended so Ferri and Pomante would start. With striker Pazzi struggling with a calf strain sustained in training it would be Selva and Pierobon up front. After their splendid performances in the youth team both Amadio and Collacchioni had been promoted to the seniors and they would start on the bench.
Sandy’s Journal Sunday August 20th 2006
Italian Cup Group G Game 1 Fano 1 Siena 1
Our first exposure to Serie A opposition did little to help me gauge our capabilities as neither side played particularly well. This is perhaps not too surprising so early in the season though. We fell behind to a goal 5 minutes before the break and looked like losing our opening game until young Riccio snatched a stoppage-time equaliser.
Team Selection
Orlandi (5), Giangolini (5, sub 45), Bravo (7), Pomante (5, sub 72), Ferri (7), Di Fiandra (7), Andorno (7), Riccio (8*), Carelli (7), Pierobon (8), Selva (4, sub 45)
Subs - Collacchioni (7), Dall’Acqua (7), Amadio (6)
Goals
Riccio 90
Fano’s next cup game was against old adversaries Cremonese. The two teams had met four times in the last couple of seasons with Fano triumphing on three occasions. Their opponents had mirrored Fano’s own success, having climbed from Serie C2 to Serie B in the last three seasons and the teams would be well matched. Defenders Faccini and Marinelli would both return to the team after suspension and Paz would make his first start of the season as Selva was out with a training injury. Sandy was looking forward to seeing Pazzi and Pierobon back together up front after their successful partnership in his first season in charge.
Sandy’s Journal Sunday August 27th 2006
Italian Cup Group G Game 2 Cremonese 0 Fano 2
This was a pleasing performance, underlined by a goal each from our strike partnership. Young Collacchioni impressed in his first start in the seniors – he’s a very powerful player for a 20-year-old and he could feature quire a lot this season. Di Fiandra seems to be finding his feet on the wing and he set up the opening goal for Paz.
Team Selection
Orlandi (8), Collacchioni (8), Bravo (7), Faccini (7), Marinelli (8), Di Fiandra (8, sub 82), Andorno (7), Riccio (5, sub 82), Carelli (7), Pierobon (8*), Pazzi (8, sub 90)
Subs - Stefani (6), Puccinelli (7), Dall’Acqua (6)
Goals
Pazzi 55, Pierobon 90
As the calendar moved towards the end of August Sandy received two pieces of contrasting news. First the bad news - Mirco Di Fiandra was struck down with a serious groin injury that would need surgery and he would be out for at least 4 months. The good news was that Director of Football Loris Servadio had concluded negotiations for a fairly major transfer. Togolese international Komi Tchangai had agreed a move from Benevento for a new club record fee of €575K. The 28-year-old should prove a powerful figure in the centre of defence.
For the league opener at Ascoli, Tchangai would make his debut, Puccinelli would come in for the injured Di Fiandra and with Paolo Bravo struck down for 3 weeks with a calf strain, Giangolini would be drafted in at left back.
Sandy’s Journal Wednesday September 6th 2006
Serie B Game 1 Ascoli 2 Fano 3
This was a rather nervy performance from the lads and with one or two notable exceptions, we really didn’t do ourselves justice. Pazzi got us off to a great start when he headed home after just 5 minutes but it took the home side just a few minutes to get back on terms. A terrific pass from Carelli put Paz in for his second midway through the half but once again we were pegged back. We were having to withstand a lot of pressure and Tchangai didn’t have the best of debuts I must say. With Riccio also struggling changes were required and it was substitute Marinelli that gave us the winning goal, firing home from a corner kick. Given how we played this was a great win and on the balance of play we really got out of jail.
Fano had the weekend off because of Euro 2008 qualifying games. Italy started their campaign with a win, beating Latvia 2-1 but Scotland slipped to a 2-0 defeat at home to Norway. Fano were back in action in midweek, taking on Reggina in the final Italian Cup group game. Keen to give his fringe players a game, Sandy re-shuffled the starting eleven for the game.
Sandy’s Journal Wednesday September 13th 2006
Italian Cup Group G Game 3 Fano 3 Reggina 1
I was impressed by the efforts of our boys today as they came out on top in a very even contest. Luca Tomasetti gave me a reminder of his capabilities at right back and Dall’Acqua looked good up front even though he didn’t open his account for us. Davide Andorno keeps improving and he could be a key player for us this season. Tchangai looked much more assured when he came on for the injured Pomante and I hope that he will settle in soon. Riccio’s goal was the pick of the day as he finished off a sweet series of one-touch passes that took us from our own penalty area.
On the same evening that Fano were in action the Euro 2008 qualifiers continued. Italy did well with a solid 2-0 win in Wales but Scotland suffered an emphatic 3-0 defeat in Spain and their campaign already looked to be in tatters. But for Sandy there was little time to reflect on his team's progression in the Cup before the visit of L’Aquila in the league.
Sandy’s Journal Saturday September 16th 2006
Serie B Game 2 Fano 4 L’Aquila 1
A Carelli rocket got us off to a great start but we seemed to lose our way a little and we were pegged back after half an hour. We really upped our game after the break though and two fine goals in two minutes by Pierobon secured the win with a late goal from Andorno putting the icing on the cake,
Fano’s second win in two games saw the club sitting on top of Serie B, clear of Ternana on goal difference. Although clearly very early in the season it was nonetheless encouraging for everyone at the club to see the team make such a positive start. Nicolo Gentilucci was released by the club when he reached the end of his contract. The youngster had rarely featured and clearly had no place in Sandy’s plans moving forwards.
Sandy’s Journal Sunday September 23rd 2006
Serie B Game 3 Bari 1 Fano 1
A very even contest reached the break scoreless but we caught the home side on the break to open the scoring in the second half, Pierobon finishing neatly as the pace of Pazzi and Riccio set him up neatly. The home side equalised with a brilliantly taken free kick with 20 minutes remaining but it was a decent display and a reasonable result.
The forthcoming visit of promotion favourites Napoli would offer Sandy’s team a severe test and would put their 29-game unbeaten run under severe pressure.
Sandy’s Journal Wednesday September 27th 2006
Serie B Game 4 Fano 1 Napoli 3
We were given a bit of a football lesson today as a very strong Napoli side proved far too good for us to handle. The early loss of Riccio probably disturbed our rhythm and a poor showing by Pierobon didn’t help our cause but even at our best we would have struggled to hold the visitors. Fredi Carelli played his heart out though and really deserved his goal but by then we were 3-0 down and the game was as good as over.
After the chastening loss in midweek Fano made the journey to Cremonese looking to back on the winning trail as soon as possible.
Sandy’s Journal Saturday September 30th 2006
Serie B Game 5 Cremonese 1 Fano 0
Despite the narrow defeat we didn’t play at all badly – the difference between the teams was that they converted one of their chances whilst we failed to do the same. In fact Orlandi looked so uncertain at times that had the home side got a few more shots on target they could well have had a more comfortable win.
After their first full month in Serie B, Fano had a perfectly symmetrical record having won twice, lost twice and drawn once. Their 7-point total left them in 10th place, just above the mid-point of the table.
Sandy was pretty pleased with the overall performance of the team. They clearly still had to adjust to playing at this level and had been a bit patchy on occasions but that was to be expected. Pazzi looked to be capable of holding his own, Andorno was looking quite useful and Carelli seemed to be grasping his chance with both hands. Youngster Collacchioni looked like he could make quite a contribution too but Sandy was a little concerned that Riccio might struggle. The former striker had adapted to his midfield role very well but there were signs that the demands of Serie B might prove a bit too much. Similarly, Orlandi had not always looked comfortable in goal and Sandy would be monitoring both players very carefully.
After two successive defeats Sandy hoped that the visit of struggling Empoli would enable his team to get another win under their belts.
Sandy’s Journal Saturday October 7th 2006
Serie B Game 6 Fano 3 Empoli 0
The visitors made life difficult for us by packing the midfield and defence although they rarely ventured far into our half. We found it difficult to break them down but on the half hour a cross from Dall’Acqua was turned home by one of their own players. We continued to press after the break and Andorno capped a fine individual performance with a run and shot to give us some breathing space. The late goal from Pazzi served to underline our dominance and we can be very satisfied with a good win.
The Italian national team suffered one their biggest upsets in modern times when they were defeated 2-0 at home to Northern Ireland in their Euro 2008 qualifier. Scotland managed to get their first win of the campaign by beating Estonia 3-1. Having had the weekend off because of the qualifiers Fano would face a midweek trip to improving Pescara.
Sandy’s Journal Wednesday October 18th 2006
Serie B Game 7 Pescara 1 Fano 2
We were the better team in a fairly tense contest and deserved to go into the interval in front thanks to a goal from Pazzi. The home side scored a soft equaliser when Orlandi and Tomasetti got in a mix up and it looked like we had gifted them a point. But then the excellent Leonardo Collacchioni gained us a penalty when his powerful run was halted illegally and Andorno made no mistake from the spot. The 20-year-old is proving to be a very effective replacement for the injured Di Fiandra and although nominally a defensive player he is adapting to a more attacking role very well.
Sandy was pleased that his team had managed to record two good victories and the back-to-back wins took Fano up to 3rd place in the table. Unfortunately they were hit with injury problems before their next game against Venezia when Komi Tchangai and Luca Puccinelli were both ruled out.
Sandy’s Journal Saturday October 21st 2006
Serie B Game 8 Fano 2 Venezia 0
The visitors are sitting at the wrong end of the table and their ambition did not extend much beyond trying to keep our attack at bay. Fredi Carelli got the show on the road with another screamer from 25 yards – no tap-ins for our Fredi! Andorno put us further ahead after the interval from the penalty spot but with 20 minutes remaining we conceded a spot kick of our own. Fortunately Orlandi made a fine stop to keep our goal intact.
Within three days of their league game Sandy’s team were back in action once again, this time facing Serie A side Torino in the Italian Cup 1st Round. Sandy changed the team around completely so that he could rest his first choice players for the league campaign.
Sandy’s Journal Tuesday October 24th 2006
Italian Cup 1st Round 1st Leg Torino 1 Fano 2
Given that I had made so many changes to the team it was no surprise to see us fall behind fairly early in the first half. It was more of a surprise to see the way in which we fought back strongly. Young Collacchioni was an inspiration to the team and Odair showed his potential with two excellent goals. His second in particular was brilliant as he turned Portuguese international Sergio Conceicao inside out before firing home from an acute angle.
After the Torino game Sandy successfully concluded negotiations to bring a young French goalkeeper to Fano on a free transfer. Mathieu Moreau (23) had been on trial at the club for a few weeks and looked like being a decent signing. He would replace Cionfrini on the bench for the trip to promotion-chasing Livorno.
Sandy’s Journal Saturday October 28th 2006
Serie B Game 9 Livorno 2 Fano 0
Neither side showed much in terms of entertaining and attacking football but unfortunately the home side managed to score with both of the shots that they had on target thanks to hesitant play by Orlandi.
Fredi Carelli’s magnificent strike against Venezia was duly recognised as worthy of the Serie B Goal of the month. A decent month in the league ends with Fano a comfortable 6th on 16 points just one point outside the promotion places.
Nine games into the league season and it wasn’t looking too bad for Sandy’s team. His concerns over Riccio and Orlandi had lessened as they both started to settle. It was certainly not the outright relegation struggle that many had predicted although there was still an awfully long way to go yet. After ending the month with a defeat Sandy hoped that the visit of relegation threatened Piacenza would reverse his team’s fortune.
Sandy’s Journal Saturday November 4th 2006
Serie B Game 10 Fano 2 Piacenza 2
Somewhat poor finishing cost us two points in this game. Having recovered from going a goal down early on Pazzi struck twice before the break to put us on top. His pace was instrumental in both goals as he was able to outstrip the defence to latch on to a long ball and a flick-on. We created more than enough chances to kill off the game and our failure to do so cost us when we conceded an equaliser in stoppage time.
Not only did Fano lose two points – in the days after the game they lost striker Pazzi, out for two weeks with a calf strain. Changes were once again made to the personnel for the team’s return game in the Cup against Torino as Sandy fielded his alternative team selection.
Sandy’s Journal Wednesday November 8th 2006
Italian Cup 1st Round 2nd Leg Fano 1 Torino 2 (3-3 aet – Fano win on penalties)
The visitors evened the aggregate score after just 7 minutes but we recovered well to go back ahead through Andy Selva just before half time. With Daniele Sgammini and Marco Pierobon playing so poorly changes were inevitable and that restricted my options for later in the game. Torino went ahead on the night with around 25 minutes remaining but we were able to hold on for the remainder of the 90 minutes and a tiring 30 minutes of extra time. It was a brave performance from the boys, made even sweeter when Moreau saved two of Torino’s spot kicks to send us through to the 2nd Round.
Team Selection
Moreau (6), Calanchi (7), Giangolini (7), Pomante (8), Sgammini (4, sub 63), Collacchioni (8), Odair (7), Puccinelli (7, sub 80), Stefani (7), Pierobon (4, sub 63), Selva (8)
Subs – Marinelli (7), Luconi (7), Riccio (7)
Goals
Selva 45
Sandy was seriously concerned about the poor form of Marco Pierobon. The striker looked totally out of sorts and it really wasn’t clear what the problem was. Whatever the reason the 27-year-old was very unsettled at present. Sandy suspected that he needed a run of games in the first team but his form was so poor that he didn’t deserve to be a regular starter. However given the injury to Paz it made sense to start Pierobon for the trip to promotion challengers San Marino. That would not be the only enforced change – central defender Faccini would miss the game with a training injury but fortunately Tchangai was fully fit and ready to start playing again.
Sandy’s Journal Saturday November 11th 2006
Serie B Game 11 San Marino 1 Fano 1
An early injury to Andorno was a blow and we fell behind after some 15 minutes. We spent most of the rest of the game chasing an equaliser but without success. A series of very passable chances were scorned until young Leonardo obliged by heading home from a last-minute corner. If I had a few more Leonardo’s in the team then I would be a very happy man!
The prognosis on Davide Andorno was not great – a damaged shoulder would sideline him for a fortnight. He was joined on the sick list by Stefano Dall’Acqua who suffered a groin strain in training and he would also be absent for two weeks. To complete the injury list Paolo Bravo would be out for a few days with a wrist injury so for the midweek game at home to Reggina they would be replaced by Odair, Selva and Ferri respectively.
Sandy’s Journal Tuesday November 14th 2006
Serie B Game 12 Fano 1 Reggina 1
For most of the game we looked like the better team but we still reached the half time interval scoreless. Pierobon looked a bit more like his old self and I was pleased when he opened our account 10 minutes after the restart. Unfortunately as we tried to kill the game off we were caught on the break and the visitors equalised with 20 minutes remaining.
Sandy’s team were playing rather more games than they have been used to and they were soon in action once more with a visit from Brescia. Bravo and Pazzi would return to the first eleven but none of their other casualties were yet ready for action.
Sandy’s Journal Saturday November 18th 2006
Serie B Game 13 Fano 5 Brescia 0
I’d say that this was as well as we’ve played all season and we really hit top gear in this game. An early goal from Pazzi got us underway and Pierobon looks much happier now that he is playing regularly. We were rarely troubled and scored twice in each half before the visitors gifted us a late own goal to put the icing on the cake.
After their excellent win the Fano players were in confident mood for the trip to Triestina, a team just a couple of places above the relegation zone. The team was boosted by the return of winger Davide Andorno from injury and hopes were high for another victory.
Sandy’s Journal Saturday November 25th 2006
Serie B Game 14 Triestina 1 Fano 0
Well they say that pride comes before a fall and I think that today the players found that there is some truth in that wise proverb. I think that they believed that they just had to show up to take the points but our doughty opponents had other ideas. We did have some bad luck too but that is no excuse for a lacklustre performance. Within the space of 5 minutes Pazzi had a goal disallowed, our hosts took the lead and Carelli limped off injured. But we should still have been capable of producing a response and it is disappointing that we failed to do ourselves justice. I can only hope that the players will learn from this experience – there are no sure things in football and you have to work hard for everything.
Sandy tried to push the message home to his team that there was a big difference between confidence and arrogance and he hoped that he had made his point. The players would be back in action with a midweek game against struggling Ancona so he would see soon enough if his words had been heeded. Given that the two teams were near neighbours and great local rivals, it was even more important to be at their best.
Sandy’s Journal Wednesday November 29th 2006
Serie B Game 15 Fano 2 Ancona 0
Well it seems that the boys have been listening after all, as this was a much better performance. They still didn’t quite get their attacking game going but they worked hard all evening and fully deserved the win. They refused to be rattled when Paz had what looked like a good goal disallowed for the second game in succession and they kept plugging away. They were rewarded by two late goals from Marco, the first of which was a beautiful strike from 25 yards.
Chairman Mirco could not hide his delight at the victory over their local rivals, especially as Ancona were caught up in a relegation struggle and Fano were on the crest of a wave. In the aftermath of the game beleaguered Ancona player/manager Mehmet Scholl was dismissed leaving the club in some chaos. It was also pleasing to see Pierobon’s opening goal against their rivals voted a runner-up the Serie B Goal of the Month competition.
Great storytelling,you're wasting your time as a manager,get into writing.I just loved it.Keep the good work up!!1
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by BobBev:
_Thanks Bruce_
_A New Season_
Sandy was finding it very difficult to obtain any players that he felt would add value to the squad as loan request after loan request was turned down. Towards the end of July he did manage to pick up a couple of free agents as experienced midfielders _Roberto Magnani_ (27) and _Luca Puccinelli_ (31) agreed deals. Shortly afterwards he signed young central defender _Marco Marinelli_ (21) who had been released by _Lecce_.
As the start of the new season loomed Sandy was resigned to entering the Serie C Cup with his current playing squad. The first game in that competition would be at Pisa, another C1/A side, and would give an early indication of how Fano would fare at this level.
_Sandy’s Journal_
_Friday August 20th 2004
Serie C Cup Group G Game 1
_Pisa 0 Fano 2__
I was very pleasantly surprised by our performance in the season opener as we defended well but also looked to create chances of our own. A goal from one of our debutantes was a definite bonus but we did need _Orlandi_ to be at his best to get the win.
After a very decent start Sandy had just a few days to prepare for the visit of _Gubbio_, a team that was known to him from last season. Sandy took the opportunity to field his fringe players to see how they got on but his expectations were rather limited.
_Sandy’s Journal_
_Tuesday August 24th 2004
Serie C Cup Group G Game 2
_Fano 3 Gubbio 1__
Despite conceding an early penalty we were rarely threatened by the visitors and a satisfactory performance by the second string was good enough. The most significant performances came from new central defender _Marinelli_, indicating that he may make a decent partner for Pomante, and forward _Merloni._
Seven games in a month was quite a lot more than Sandy’s team had been used to playing in the past but he was happy to remind his players that a congested fixture list was one of the signs of success. Not only were they playing in a league with more teams in it, meaning more league games, but they were also progressing in the Cup. He was at pains to point out that in the modern game it was important to have strength in depth within the squad to be able to handle the demands of playing twice a week. The lead up to the Festive Season started with a trip to Catanzaro and Sandy felt it necessary to give both Collacchioni and Carelli a rest for that game bringing in Odair and Stefani in their stead.
Sandy’s Journal Saturday December 2nd 2006
Serie B Game 16 Catanzaro 0 Fano 0
We didn’t play badly in this game but still found ourselves outshot by the home side as they created the majority of the chances. In the end we were grateful to the excellence of Orlandi to allow us to hang on for a point.
With the fixture list not giving Sandy and his players much leeway this season the team was soon in action once more, this time travelling to Vicenza of Serie A for the 1st leg of their Italian Cup 2nd Round encounter. As was his custom the Scotsman rang the changes for the cup game, resting most of his established first team players.
Sandy’s Journal Wednesday December 6th 2006
Italian Cup 2nd Round 1st Leg Vicenza 2 Fano 3
I can’t praise the boys too highly for a determined and totally committed performance and no one played better than Stefano Dall’Acqua whose hat trick gave us a terrific win. Twice we took the lead and twice we were pegged back but we still had the character to find a late winner. Leonardo Collacchioni was also outstanding and if our youth programme can produce a player as good as him every couple of years I will be very happy indeed.
As part of Sandy’s efforts to strengthen the squad the scouting team had not been idle and one player that they had unearthed was a young man from Honduras, Roberto Palacios. The 22-year-old midfielder had been released by his club last season and had taken the brave decision to travel to Spain to try to find a club. Having failed in that attempt he had extended his travels to Italy and after a short trial at Fano Sandy decided that he was definitely worth taking a gamble on.
After the excitement of their Cup match it was back into league action a few days later with a very demanding game – a trip to second place Crotone. Their opponents had only lost one game all season and having been promoted from Serie C1/B they were pushing hard for a second consecutive promotion. Sandy was encouraged by the fact that Fano had beaten them home and away in the Serie C Super Cup at the end of last season but he would be taking nothing for granted.
Sandy’s Journal Saturday December 9th 2006
Serie B Game 17 Crotone 2 Fano 2
I have no idea how we didn’t win this game comfortably. Not only did we hit the woodwork three times but we also forced the home keeper into a string of marvellous stops with some vibrant attacking play. Pazzi got us off to a great start with an early goal but the home side were able to find a reply inside 15 minutes. We spent the remainder of the game putting their goal under siege and they somehow survived until the last minute when Paz scored his second of the game. But, thinking that the game was won, we went to sleep at the back and allowed then to get an equaliser virtually straight from the restart. I consider this two points lost rather than a point gained but I am encouraged by the form that we are showing.
A couple of days later Sandy received some terrible news – striker Cristian Pazzi had suffered a very bad groin strain and after consultation with a specialist he would require surgery and a long layoff to make a full recovery. This would effectively rule out Fano’s star striker for the rest of the season – a huge blow to the club’s ambitions.
Over the next few days a couple of other players who had been at the club on a trial basis were offered playing contracts. Experienced defensive midfielder Salvatore Russo (35) would give cover on the right and Cameroon international Jean Dika (27) would strengthen the centre of the defence.
Fano welcomed the visit of Chievo by bringing Dall’Acqua into the first eleven in place of Pazzi. Sandy was hopeful that his record signing would step up to the mark and provide a genuine goal threat.
Sandy’s Journal Saturday December 16th 2006
Serie B Game 18 Fano 2 Chievo 0 Leonardo Collacchioni is in such outstanding form that even when Mirco Di Fiandra is fit he will struggle to regain his place in the first eleven. It was another great performance by the youngster, capped off with two goals. Tomasetti looked to be in a bit of trouble when he was carried off in the second half and he looks likely to miss a game or two.
The news regarding Luca Tomasetti wasn’t good with the fullback suffering from fractured ribs and requiring a month or so to recover. With the home leg of Fano’s cup tie against Vicenza coming up Sandy once again reverted to his “second” team to preserve his key players.
Sandy’s Journal Wednesday December 20th 2006
Italian Cup 2nd Round 2nd Leg Fano 2 Vicenza 1 (Fano win 5-3 on aggregate)
This was a very controlled display tonight and when Andy Selva put us ahead in the first half we never looked like relinquishing our lead. Stefani made things safe from the penalty spot just after the restart and the visitor’s late goal was little more than a consolation for them.
Fano’s unexpected Cup victory took the team to the Quarter Final stage where they would face the mighty Inter Milan over two legs. This gave everyone at the club plenty to think about over their short Christmas break but they were soon back into league action with a visit by Cagliari. With Tomasetti absent through injury the recent acquisition of Salvatore Russo appeared to be very prescient indeed.
Sandy’s Journal Wednesday December 27th 2006
Serie B Game 19 Fano 3 Cagliari 0
We were always on the ascendancy in this game and despite failing to score in the first half I was sure that if we kept playing football the goals would come. Fredi Carelli got the breakthrough midway through the second period with a thunderous volley from fully 30 yards. Fredi has matured into a fine player and is having a terrific season in midfield. Once we had our noses in front we were able to capitalise and Stefano’s two goals sealed an excellent win.
BobBev, I'm fast becoming a fan of all your stories. Just read this one and it is excellent. :thup:
I've never played much in Italy, but from what I've read it's hard to take a Serie C team all the way to the top flight. You're well on the way with Fano, so best of luck for the rest of the Serie B campaign.
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