The Bridge of Sighs: F.B.C. Unione Venezia

[Shake Appeal]

Great win over Milan! You should be in the Europe spots by now?

We're 2nd! Or we were, anyway. For a little while.

Didn't realize you could check out an attribute team comparision.

Yeah, under team report, team comparison there's a row of tabs that show averages for various attributes for the league you're in. You can also see them compared against an individual team (if you've scouted them), which is more useful, as you can use it to compare your strengths and weaknesses with those of your next opponents'.

[Shake Appeal]

November 2015

Cagliari 2 - 3 Unione Venezia (Serie A TIM)

Six minutes into this one, Thomas de Jong's cross finds the diving head of Borini and we're already in trouble. Gignac makes it two after 24 minutes when local youngster Ivan Zamboni, making his debut, just lets him waltz on by. A chipped through pass from Milani on 37 minutes finds Cesarini to make things look a little less grim, but we still go into the break trailing, and I instruct the team to show me something different. They decide to indulge me. Two minutes in, Cesarini and Ganz combine to put us back on level terms. Eight minutes after that, Ganz noses us in front with another incisive finish, completing the comeback.

The board is pretty pleased with how things are going, too.

Unione Venezia 1 - 1 Novara (Serie A TIM)

Luigi Silvestri starts his first senior game since his leg was broken in late May. We spend most of the first period trying to get the ball back, but Novara don't know what to do with it in any case. On 53 minutes, Silvestri is first to the near post from a Grieco free kick, and the Pierluigi Penzo roars their approval. We're rampant for a spell after that, but Chávez misses a sitter and Novara end up pulling one back through Maurice Dalé. Things end on an irksome note when Marco Cuomo is shown a second yellow in the 92nd minute.

In between my other concerns, I take time out to arrange the signing of 18 year-old Pole Lukasz Olszak on a youth contract, as Bayern have inexplicably let him go. He's a young striker who doesn't quite fit any particular role right now, but his model professionalism and extraordinary determination mean he's a safe bet to reach his potential, which my scouting team tell me is considerable.

Udinese 4 - 0 Unione Venezia (Serie A TIM)

We get off to a poor start in Udine, with Zé Renato celebrating in front of the home fans within minutes, courtesy of Antonio Candreva. And it gets worse: Odion Ighalo plants an easy header thanks to a cross from Masiello down the right. The two goalscorers combine for the third, on half an hour: Zé Renato twists inside Silvestri, Laverone isn't covering the space, and Ighalo can open fire from about nine yards. There's no way back by then, and there certainly isn't when Ighalo returns the favour, allowing Zé Renato to stride into our box unopposed for four. It's hard to know what to say in the dressing room at half-time. The rot is stopped in the second period, but it doesn't matter. Even if we manage to grind out an equal share of the game by the end, Udinese had all the chances, and they took them. A new contender for the worst defeat of my reign.

I have my first falling out with Laverone concerning his performance in this game, and make it very clear both privately and publicly that I will not indulge his poor play or worse attitude. He's dropped for the next two games at least.

Milan 1 - 0 Unione Venezia (TIM Cup, Fourth Qualifying Round)

There's little time to recover after the Udinese drubbing, so the squad is heavily rotated for this cup tie. Coralli hits a penalty straight at Amelia after just six minutes, and that will prove to be the last of the Milan goal we see for some time. At the other end, Stephan El Shaarawy is left with a simple finish after the ball bobbles kindly off Silvestri's shin in our own penalty area. Before the half is out, however, Amelia is forced into a sensational point-blank save from a Locci header. I sympathize with the team at half-time: the San Siro is an intimidating venue for anyone, let alone for those players who were featuring in the Italian fourth tier three years ago. Milan have less say in things as the game wears on, but we never look like getting an equalizer.

Unione Venezia 1 - 1 Chievo (Serie A TIM)

It's time for us to get back to winning ways. Chávez has an early goal correctly deemed offside, and in general we look more composed than we have these past few weeks. That starts to wane as the half goes on, though, and my half-time talk is more about regrouping the team than anything else. We look better again after Guédiora is sent off for a second yellow. Better, but still goalless. It takes a neat Coralli header in the 89th minute for us to sneak into the lead. Chievo don't give up, though, and a dogged Cruzado gets into the box to find Xisco Nadal for the sliding equalizer two minutes into stoppages. We are not back to winning ways.

(After this game, Luis Enrique, fired from Genoa, is appointed Chievo manager, continuing his slide down the ladder of Italian clubs.)

[deltablue]

Bit mixed that month.

[Deisler26]

Oof. Bad month. Fingers crossed it's just a blip...

[Shake Appeal]

December 2015

We are so far under the allotted wage and transfer budgets that I am giddy at the prospect of this year's contract expiries search. My team of scouts, confronted with the mountain of paperwork they are going to have to draft, are less so.

Sampdoria 3 - 2 Unione Venezia (Serie A TIM)

I approach this game with some trepidation given our performances of late, but Ganz lays my fears to rest after 10 minutes, surging onto a Baccarin through pass to finish in the far bottom corner. Pandev has a goal at the other end scratched out for offside. I have to scream at my players to stay on their feet after we give away a succession of dangerous free kicks around the area, and when we do eventually concede it's a dead ball straight off the training ground: Palombo lays it off short for Bangoura, and he stabs the ball into the area for the ghost run of Maxi López. When we restore the lead after half-time, it's through superb one-touch football: Laverone to Taddei, Taddei to Baccarin, and Baccarin to Ganz, who dinks his second goal over the goalkeeper with his left foot. It can't last. Drouin slams in a ball from the right flank for Palombo to smuggle in while the defence is caught ball-watching. And then Laverone (o.g.) sinks lower in my estimation by tackling Maxi López in the six-yard box and turning the ball into his own net. Sampdoria even have a fourth goal denied by the linesman's flag.

Even a slump that has us down to seventh (eighth if Udinese win their next match) hasn't taken the shine off our season so far, and when Roma sack Pasquale Marino for taking them no higher than 11th, I am linked with a major Italian club for the first time I can recall.

Unione Venezia 2 - 0 Lazio (Serie A TIM)

Lazio set the tone for 20 minutes, but then Hurtado trips Ganz as he steps inside the box, and a penalty is awarded. Cesarini smacks his kick off the bar, but Chávez is fastest to react and puts the ball where it belongs. Our lead paralyzes Lazio, and we're content to sit back and indulge a few wild long shots. The second half is even more boring, though Mario Balotelli, back in Italy, has a belter from distance, and Ganz hammers the crossbar when he really should have scored. Lazio continue to be their own worst enemies, and Ganz (pen.) succeeds where Cesarini failed after Hamdan Al-Kamali hauls down his man in the area.

Juventus 5 - 3 Unione Venezia (Serie A TIM)

My beloved Juve are struggling at the moment, and don't even have a working right back with Gunino suspended and Lichtsteiner injured, so reserve team winger Pepe has been called up for service. Quagliarella hacks the ball in from a corner after two minutes to put the Old Lady in front, though it's Silvestri (o.g.) who gets the credit. From another corner on half an hour, Quagliarella gets down to head in, and this time it's his name that appears on the scoresheet. Juventus more or less own our box during dead balls, and D'Amato heads in a third corner. It's not even half-time. Pereyra makes sure our dressing room will be more or less a suicide booth by bagging another at the back post from a Gervinho cross. 4-0. The referee takes pity on us and calls an end to the first 45. The sane 45. On 62 minutes, Silvestri slides in from a corner of our own to peg one back. A few minutes later, Quagliarella smashes in his second of the game having taken on our keeper and won. Then Cesarini plays in the dashing run of Andrea Grieco for his first ever league goal in this, his 94th start for Venezia. Not done there, we find Fiorucci's head from a corner with ten minutes to go, making it 3-5. It's still a crushing defeat, but somehow I find myself smiling on the drive over to Alessio Greco's house. We tried, I can tell the old man. He will be grumpy about it, but he will respect the effort. I should have said: like our very own Venezia side, he is still cheerfully clinging to life.

I politely deny any interest in the Cesena job after Regni is fired for picking up just three points from the first 16 games. Why would I leave Venezia, the club and city that I adore, at a time when we're an improbable sixth in the league? The job is eventually taken up by Gianfranco Zola.

[Shake Appeal]

Bit mixed that month.

Oof. Bad month. Fingers crossed it's just a blip...

It's not quite a full drop-off yet, but we're conceding plenty of goals all of a sudden.

[HotChocolate]

Tough month but I'd say you came out of it okay with 3 points.

[Shake Appeal]

Winter Round-up 2015

Squad Stats

It's a quiet winter break for us, with few dealings of note. I tie up a few loose contracts for my backroom staff, and negotiate extensions for one or two of the older players who I think have something to offer in terms of experience, tutoring, or backroom potential down the line. There is quite a bit of dead wood to chop, but I'm not quite sure how to go about conveniently 'losing' some of the players who are currently unimpressing on loans at teams a division below us: Luciani, Coluccio, Marsili. Laverone is also not looking like a long-term part of my plans; not only is his behaviour and attitude poor, he isn't reaching his potential in training, either. He'll be hard sell to any clubs, however.

I make some offers for players whose contracts are expiring, though my options are limited by the existing wage structure at the club and my desire to focus on youth, and preferably Italian youth.

The board consults me about our changing expectations for the season, and I tell them I'm comfortable delivering a mid-table finish. I can't decide whether this is pessimistic given our current position, or optimistic given our more recent form. Our next match is against league leaders and reigning champions Inter to boot. The board also announce the completion of work on our training facilities: for the first time since my arrival, they are adequate.

Romanian Zlatomir Munteanu arrives as January does, and my first action is to give him a week's rest, as he is looking jaded and exhausted. He looks like an immediate fit, though, and I'm pleased with this bit of business given my failure to secure reliable full-backs over the years (with the obvious exception of Andrea Grieco, whom I adore).

Lazio pay an unbelievable €1.8M for just half of Renzo Locci's contract. He'll remain at the club at least for the next 18 months, meaning I can oversee his development and work out what he is worth, and in the meantime our finances receive a healthy injection of cash.

Arriving next July are Luca Barlocco of Atalanta, a young, quick defender who can play at right-back or in the centre of defence; Matteo Bartolini of Pisa, who can play up front or in the Cesarini role, but will need some work before he's truly suitable for either; and Barletta's Arcangelo Cavallari, who optimists say could be the new Giorgio Chiellini, and is the left-sided defender to Barlocco's right. All are Italian. None are over 20. I am also looking at signing the delightfully named Alessandro Mecca in central midfield, or more hopefully Carlo Ilari, who would be an instant upgrade from Donadel or Caciagli in the role of deep-lying playmaker, and who has only just turned 24. Ilari is expensive, though; another option is Matteo Piccinini of AlbinoLeffe. We shall have to see, but I've identified my central midfield as the area most in need of investment in the near future. Marco Cuomo and young star Bortone likely have the ball-winning position locked down for years to come (with Fonjock now as backup and a potential tutor), but the other two roles are less certain.

[Shake Appeal]

January 2016

Unione Venezia 0 - 3 Inter (Serie A TIM)

This is not the game to go into after a poor run of form followed by a long winter break. Sure enough, Lúcio turns in a deflected free kick after just four minutes. The second goal is even sillier: Adebayor beats Tonani in goal, gets to the byline, and pulls it back for Canales, whose shot is beaten off the line by the recovering Tonani only to be bobbled in by Fiorucci (o.g.) as the young defender rushes in to clear. Our confidence is shattered, and Canales ghosts in for three on 22 minutes. I try to sympathize as best I can at half-time, but the truth is we've been poor even considering Inter's superiority. As has happened before in beatings like this one, we settle things in the second period, and I can respect the renewed efforts of the players. But the damage is done, and in four matches against four of the top sides (Udinese, Sampdora, Juventus, Inter), we've shipped 15 goals.

With that result we slip to ninth, and tenth if Roma win their game in hand.

Alessandro Mecca arrives on a free, technically: I will have to pay Frosinone compensation, but it's less than I might ultimately have paid when you factor in the next sale clause they kept trying to tack on. I love this kid already. He's a model professional at 16, and malleable enough that I can turn him into any kind of ball-playing midfielder I want.

Cesena 1 - 1 Unione Venezia (Serie A TIM)

Cesarini, Laverone, and Taddei all miss this one through suspension. It's an important opportunity to pick up points against the ramshackle bottom club, and yet once again we go behind early to a soft corner, with Xisco forcing it over the line after Fernández rescues it from going out of play. On 38 minutes, Albertazzi is sent off for a cynical trip on Ganz, and we can see a way back into the game. Minutes into the second half, a Baccarin effort is charged down at the edge of the area, but Ganz is ruthless in directing the rebound into the far corner. It's just about enough to deny Cesena their first win of the season.

Also arriving at the club during this transfer window, this time for a fee of €300K, is another Romanian full-back, Vasile Loghin, who at 17 is a little young to solve all my problems on the left side of defence, but may have a great future ahead of him. My Eastern European scout Enrico Polani is certainly earning his keep.

Federico Rispoli comes to me demanding a contract termination; he is willing to settle for €20K. With Piero Marino ready to break into the senior squad in his absence, I jump at the chance. He was never reliable.

The last action in this transfer video is purchasing Matteo Piccinini in exchange for €750K and André Möllestam. This accomplishes a few things, principally deepening our midfield while cleaning up our overabundance of defenders. But Piccinini is a reserved, resolute, tireless midfielder with room to grow at just 22 years of age. And his name is fun to say.

Matteo, flattery will get you everywhere.

Unione Venezia 1 - 0 Bologna (Serie A TIM)

It feels like much longer than a month since our last Serie A triumph, that anomalous win over Lazio. Fiorucci sets us back on the path in this one by tapping in a Grieco dead ball at the back post. It's a balanced game, played during a thin sleet, but Bologna offer nothing in the way of threat, though they should have had a penalty. The city of Venice breathes a wintry sigh of relief.

My constant wheeling and dealing to keep this club competitive through a rapid rise finally backfires with one of my players, though, and this one hurts:

Lukas Zima, meanwhile, is concerned he's not getting sufficient first-team football, which is true, because he has started four games this year and been poor in all of them. I pack him off on loan to Cottbus in the Bundesliga for the remainder of the season.

Unione Venezia 3 - 1 Brescia (Serie A TIM)

It's important to keep picking up the points against the relegation battlers, as we're an outside shot for a European place if we keep things up. Piccinini plows his way straight into the hearts of the Unione Venezia faithful by smashing in a goal first time from the top of the D.

[video=youtube;RyGkjS3PeG4]

That's Cesarini's first assist of the game; his second is finding gentle giant Fiorucci from a free kick for yet another headed goal. And before half-time, we're an undeserved three up: Ganz gets to the byline and pulls back for Cesarini to get one of his own. Brescia get the goal their play deserves early in the second half, with Federico Masi leaping to head in his first goal for the club. 3-1 is how it ends, though, and we register consecutive victories for only the second time this season.

Napoli 1 - 2 Unione Venezia (Serie A TIM)

Napoli can leapfrog us with a win here today, so it's important to stay focused. The first half is as dull as I could possibly hope, with Napoli coming closest when Chávez somehow nearly heads the ball into his own net. Just before the break, Piers Marino, who turned 19 last month, guides home a Cesarini through ball for his first Venezia goal. Napoli push forward in the second period, which suits us perfectly: from an elegant break, Marino calmly slots in his second, and suddenly Ganz has competition up front. Napoli get one back when Anichebe plays a one-two with Kozhanov across 40 yards of pitch. The Nigeria should have had a second to tie things up, but Tonani makes an excellent save, and we secure an excellent result.

Novara make me an offer I can't refuse, paying €1.8M for half of backup goalkeeper Baronti's contract. The deal is similar to Lazio's for Locci, and will see Baronti remain with us for the next two years at least. I'm on the verge of purchasing deep-lying playmaker Carlo Ilari from Chievo for €2.5M as the transfer window closes, but his agent refuses to back down from an unreasonable minimum release and match highest earner clause. Torino end up buying him instead, and on a wage some €3.5Kp/w higher than I was offering.

[deltablue]

Definitely back up to speed now.

[HotChocolate]

Unione Venezia between Juventus and Napoli? Well I never.

[Shake Appeal]

February 2016

Unione Venezia 0 - 2 Palermo (Serie A TIM)

It's snowing faintly in Venice, and for the first ten minutes a combination of the cold weather and Palermo's hot form have us on the ropes. Giroud heads in a Coutinho corner, yet once we're behind we improve. Chávez fluffs a clear-cut chance to equalize, while Fiorucci heads his effort straight into the keeper's arms. Early in the second half, however, a Giroud free kick comes back off the crossbar, and Migliaccio pounces on the rebound. This is by no means one of our worst performances of the season, but Palermo are decidedly the better team.

Fiorentina 3 - 2 Unione Venezia (Serie A TIM)

Again we concede early, with Formica recovering the ball from an attacking move that has broken down to fire Fiorentina in front. Marino strengthens his case as a starter with a sharp finish to level the score, but fewer than five minutes later Paloschi bursts through to restore the Viola advantage. Then Piccinini concedes a soft penalty, allowing Chiodo (pen.) to give Fiorentina a 3-1 lead going into the second 45. Taddei provides a glimpse of the way back on 70 minutes, coolly placing his finish from the edge of the box, but it's not enough.

Diligent scouting up and down Argentina has identified my long-term replacement for Cesarini. It's one Luciano Righetti of Vélez, who stands at all of 5'7", has skill and flair unmatched in my current side, and will only turn 19 in the summer. Getting Vélez to part with him will be difficult, though, and may take more financial resources than I have at my disposal. I start by telling their current manager that he has what it takes to fix his side's currently struggling form. Boca's Luis Gonzalez is another option, but more expensive again, perhaps costing as much as seven or eight million euro.

Unione Venezia 2 - 2 Genoa (Serie A TIM)

We should be better than this, hosting relegation-bound Genoa, but despite a fair share of the ball, we look utterly toothless going forward. Miguel Veloso opens the scoring for the more than deserving away side with an extraordinary free kick. Things get worse after half-time, when no one picks up Macheda's late run into the penalty area. We're struggling to get so much as a shot, but when Coralli finally snaps off an effort the keeper can only punch it away, into the path of the arriving Alberto Baccarin, who dutifully scores his first goal for the club. Then, on 84 minutes, Cesarini rolls the ball in front of Taddei, who gratefully pokes it into the roof of the net. Comeback complete.

Ganz has torn his hamstring, meaning he will miss most of the rest of the season. It's lucky we have Marino starting to spark.

Roma 5 - 0 Unione Venezia (Serie A TIM)

Yet another early dead ball goal gives an indication of the beating that's to come: Francis Coquelin taps in a free kick minutes after Cesarini limps off with an injury. Rhodolfo makes it two from a corner on 23 minutes, when his marker, Milani, gets things horribly wrong. Pjanic makes it 0-3 with a precise header on 30 minutes, and we're floundering. I kindly restrain myself at half-time, conscious that our own overachieving is what makes more normal performances like this look so poor. But Roma grab a fourth shortly after half-time, as Silvestri (o.g.) heads in trying to rescue a floating cross; and they get their fifth when Rhodolfo steers in a wayward Burdisso header, again from a free kick. Across 90 minutes, we fail to muster a shot at goal, and by the full-time whistle I'm feeling a whole lot less charitable.

Cesarini's 125th game for Venezia lasted just four minutes, and now he's out for four weeks. Meanwhile, Mecca and Bortone join Fiorucci in being called up for the Italy U19s; Loghin and Munteanu will feature for the Romania U21s.

I have fallings-out with a couple of players who shall remain nameless following the Roma defeat, and call a team meeting to clear the air, with moderate success. We host third-placed Torino next, however, and then go away to a Milan that has improved to fourth. It's hard to see where the next win might come from.

Unione Venezia 1 - 2 Torino (Serie A TIM)

Dridi gives the visiting side the lead after three minutes. The only consolation is it comes from open play, and no single player of mine is at fault. Chávez raises our spirits by slithering a shot onto the post, but otherwise it's Torino's game. We lose Marino to injury in the second period, but then Chávez finally ends his goal drought with a simple finish following a neat one-two with Baccarin. On 79 minutes, Bianchi's shot goes wild in the box, and Piccinini (o.g.) bumbles it over the line. It's another defeat, but at least we battled throughout.

Marino's injury is identical to Ganz's: a torn calf muscle that means three or four months on the sidelines. Losing our first and second choice goalscorers isn't going to help us halt this current run of defeats. We're in 11th now, our lowest position since the season began.

[Shake Appeal]

Unione Venezia between Juventus and Napoli? Well I never.

Don't worry, it didn't last.

[mkjellander]

There's nothing quite like a run of injuries at one position to ruin your first season in the big leagues. Here's to hoping you can hold on to a mid-table finish and regroup for season 2.

[Deisler26]

Ah, that dreaded bite in the ass! You seem to have more about you than we did, so I'm tipping you to stay up!

[Shake Appeal]

March 2016

Milan 2 - 0 Unione Venezia (Serie A TIM)

We start well, unbelievably, with Coralli even getting Amelia down at the near post to make an important save. Yet despite keeping our head above water and stretching Milan at times, it's the home side who take the lead, with Iličić heading in a corner at the second attempt. I provide emotional and moral support to my team during the interval, to the relief of those players who've borne the brunt of my rage at times over the preceding weeks. It's more of the same in the second: plenty of hustle and good intent from our boys, but a sublime cross-field pass from Gutierrez allows Alex Sandro to race in and put the result beyond doubt.

Napoli, one place below us, lose to Lazio, and so ends the reign of Walter Mazzarri, whose wheeler-dealing has seriously backfired this season. A disastrous team meeting ahead of our game against Parma, meanwhile, leaves the team split in their opinion of our recent fortunes, and our future chances.

Parma 1 - 1 Unione Venezia (Serie A TIM)

Watching amateur curling with the volume on mute would provide greater spectacle than this excuse for a football match. Parma, by dint of actually having a few chances, are unlucky not to take the lead. On 75 minutes, Chávez's wild clearance is picked up by Coralli, who sprints all the way to finish in the bottom corner. Just when it looks like we're about to put an end to the relentless misery of the last month or so, Chinese striker Dong Fangzhuo hops Donadel's last-ditch tackle to get in for the equalizer, though there is some controversy as Laverone was down injured.

Tonani's agent seems to think one good performance in goal all season is worthy of an improved contract. It is not. I make that perfectly clear to the young goalkeeper when he comes knocking, knocking at my chamber door.

The new youth intake is a little disappointing, too; while there are two highly rated youngsters in the bunch, they're both strikers, and I am laden down with prospects for those positions as it is. That said, Pietro Cardoni is being compared to Fabio Quagliarella already at 15, so perhaps I am being unfair.

Unione Venezia 1 - 4 Cagliari (Serie A TIM)

Our slide has become so bad that it's not out of the question, mathematically, that we could still be relegated, while a win for Cagliari today will see them climb to 14th, just a point behind us in lucky number 13. Our physical and mental fitness is questionable, and after 12 minutes Jacopo Petriccione flicks on a de Jong cross into the far corner. An interesting statistic is that nearly half the goals we've conceded this season have arrived in the first 30 minutes of matches. Silvestri (o.g.) adds to our woes, nodding past his own keeper in an attempt to keep Gignac at bay. Rugani makes it three before half-time. It comes, heavens above, from a corner. Leaking goals to Udinese and Roma is one thing; drowning against Cagliari is another. I have stern, stern words in the dressing room, but Gignac makes it four after we return, slamming in his shot after the ball comes free at, you guessed it, a corner. A late, late goal from Piccinini is all the consolation we see.

Training sessions are extended. I push my team harder, and meaner. Over the course of a few days, I take every player aside individually to speak to them in no uncertain terms about their level of effort and ambition. Everyone is very clear on how exactly we need to improve. I am not sure any of it will work.

Novara 0 - 1 Unione Venezia (Serie A TIM)

No more alibis. No more treating every team as if they are going to beat us, because with that attitude they more often will. This time, I send my team out to play football. To play the game as if it can be won, rather than waiting for defeat. And we manage it, against a Novara side three places below us in the league. We pass the ball better. We keep it longer. And in the 85th minute, Chávez plays through Coralli, and we take the lead. That'll do.

[Shake Appeal]

April 2016

On April Fool's Day, I receive a phone call from Pavel Nedved. But he's not pulling any sort of prank.

And so I end up having to politely explain to an idol of mine that I cannot, alas, give up my position at Venezia to improve the lot of my favoured Juventus. My work here is not done. Unione Venezia is a part of me now, and it would be impossible to leave now, or perhaps ever. And so I have to decline what in another time and place would represent a childhood dream. It's also worth pointing out that the annual wage budget at Juventus is currently 38 times that at Venezia. 38 times. But no. I wish you the best of luck, Pavel, but no.

He understands, of course. Good old Pavel. He goes on to appoint Attilio Tesser of Novara the next day, but I will always know who his first choice was.

Unione Venezia 0 - 0 Udinese (Serie A TIM)

Today we host the league leaders, who put four past us earlier in the season. We're tougher than we were then, I think, hardened by any number of disappointing defeats since. Tougher, and we've been drilling our defence of set pieces for the last couple of days. We get to half-time without conceding, which is a little victory in itself. On 57 minutes, Chávez is sent clean through, but blazes away our best chance of the game. Our performance at the other end is heartening, though, and by the end it would be churlish to say we didn't deserve this well-fought draw.

My assistant, Matteo Centurioni, is coming to the end of his contract, and I feel we've outgrown him as a club, though he has been a loyal and willing servant for this club. When his contract is up, I plan to replace him with Egidio Notaristefano, a 50 year-old youth coach at Sassuolo whom I've had my eye on for some time now. He's an unflappable model professional who excels at working with the kind of young players who predominate in my Venezia side. I think he has the perfect work ethic and skillset to benefit our club over the next few years.

Chievo 1 - 3 Unione Venezia (Serie A TIM)

47 seconds elapse before Coralli (pen.) is held back in the area and thumps his penalty into the top corner. It's an important goal, but it also sets the tone for a half dogged by silly fouls and hesitant football. Chievo's Aveni flights a beautiful shot in after the break to put his side in contention. Nine minutes later, Cesarini does even better from a free kick. Chievo keep coming, though, and pile forward toward the end in an attempt to secure the elusive points they need to stave off relegation. A counter-attack is sloppily brought under control by Andreolli, and Cesarini nicks the ball to place his second goal and our third in the top corner. It hasn't been our captain's most profilic season, but he's been our most consistent player. And his name has long since beeen written into the hearts of our fans.

Unione Venezia 3 - 0 Sampdoria (Serie A TIM)

A one match suspension for Coralli means we start this game with Polish U20 hopeful Lukasz Olszak up front, though Ganz should be back in a matter of a week or two. It's a miserable, drizzling April day, and we end up playing pinball with the Blucerchiati on the slick surface. Sure enough, when a goal does come, it's a rained-out mistake: Eyal Golasa (o.g.) bundles the ball past his own keeper trying to clear a Cesarini cross. Donadel makes things needlessly difficult by getting sent off not longer afterwards for a late challenge in the middle of the park. Sampdoria are their own worst enemies, though, fouling ceaselessly as we play an increasingly genteel passing game. Lorenzini pops up with a rare goal from the edge of the area to give us even greater comfort, though truthfully Samp look toothless. Taddei puts the seal on perhaps our most impressive performance of the season, turning back inside his man from a good passing move to place the ball past a motionless De Lucia in goal. 17 shots and 67% possession. With ten men. My post-game team talk is rhapsodic.

Lazio 1 - 0 Unione Venezia (Serie A TIM)

Our good April continues, at least for 23 minutes, when Dossevi gives Lazio the lead. At the other end, Fiorucci has a header bounce back off the bar, and Silvestri his rebound attempt cleared off the line. The latter chips another bit of paint off the frame of the goal just before half-time. Juan Forlín inexplicably stays on the field after tripping Piccinini when the latter is clean through on 66 minutes. We continue to be the better team, but 0-1 is how it stays, and my chat with the team afterwards is more than a little ambivalent.

Napoli lose to Palermo, meaning we maintain 11th place in the league. I'd love to squeeze into the top half before the season's end, but our next two games are against big, big clubs.

Unione Venezia 3 - 1 Juventus (Serie A TIM)

The last game between these two sides was an eight goal thriller. I'm hoping for something a little more restrained today, but Viera sends Jonathan Cristaldo through after just eight minutes, and his finish is imperious. On 36 minutes, Chávez picks out a wonderful run from deep by Cesarini, who strokes it past a disbelieving Branescu. Just before half-time, Cesarini is at it again, this time breaking into space to collect a pass from Fonjock (who is playing his 100th game for Venezia today), and then crossing for Chávez to slide in from six yards. Two shots, two goals. After the break, Fabiano Viscidi, who turned 17 last month, cuts in from the wing and whips in a third, which allows him to celebrate in front of the home fans at Pierluigi Pienzo for the first time. It turns out to be a startlingly assured second-half performance, one of our best of the year, against a team I rejected just a few weeks previously. Somewhere, Nedved is smiling mournfully.

[deltablue]

Great win over Juve especially. Not going too badly generally.

[HotChocolate]

Pavel Nedved, what a player he was <3

[mkjellander]

Good job arresting the slide. Time to close out the season with confidence for a respectable first season in Serie A.

[Shake Appeal]

Great win over Juve especially. Not going too badly generally.

Pavel Nedved, what a player he was <3

Kind of a hero of mine. Seeming him be Juve chairman is sort of hilarious, though. Where did he get the funds?!

Good job arresting the slide. Time to close out the season with confidence for a respectable first season in Serie A.

Hoping for top half (10th), but we'll see. Anything above 15th or so is above expectations.

[HotChocolate]

Kind of a hero of mine. Seeming him be Juve chairman is sort of hilarious, though. Where did he get the funds?!

There might be an owner, who doesn't want to be the chairman and therefore hires someone as Chairman.

[Shake Appeal]

May 2016

Inter 3 - 0 Unione Venezia (Serie A TIM)

It's been a thoroughly disappointing season for the nerazzurri, and they are long since out of the title race (which is down to Udinese and Palermo, with a point separating them). They're still battling for the European spots, though, and an impeccable passing move after four minutes ends with Rodrigo coolly chipping the ball over Tonani, off the far post, and in. We can't keep up with Inter during the first half, and it ends with Rodrigo playing in Etienne Capoue for an exquisite finish at the near post, from the narrowest of angles. The second half makes clear our inferiority, and it's only a sterling performance by Tonani in goal that forces Inter to wait until the very end to get their third. There is nothing he can do when Adebayor is put clean through.

Unione Venezia 3 - 0 Cesena (Serie A TIM)

Our last home game of the season is against a Cesena who have collected just eight points all season (though one of those was against us). We get things going early, with Chávez's clever backheel being the last of twelve passes to free Cesarini on 12 minutes.

[video=youtube;K5kVhKM8C-0]

Ganz, in his first game back, has a goal ruled out for a debatable offside, before Cesarini builds on his superb form by swivelling in a crowded box to hook a second goal past Teodorani. Piccinini tacks on a third with a bullet from outside the area.

[video=youtube;JCjCE148JrU]

Udinese win their second Serie A title in three years, pipping Palermo to the post with only one game left to play.

Bologna 1 - 3 Unione Venezia (Serie A TIM)

This game means very little, as Bologna were relegated last week, and 10th place is beyond us now. As anticipated, almost nothing interesting happens until the 63rd minute, when Luigi Silvestri (o.g.) scores his fourth own goal of the season. Piccinini levels the score not long after that, before teenage Viscidi bags another from outside the area to put us in front. Chávez rounds off a more than satisfying year of football.

Our newly-promoted Unione Venezia side, tipped to come dead last, finish in 11th, and receives €3.81M in prize money. Holla.

[deltablue]

Good couple of wins to finish off

[j88_ftm]

I've just sat and read through this whole thread. Really interesting story you've got going here. Particularly impressed by the fact that you turned down the Juve job

[abulezz]

Fantastic end to the season - finishing 11th beat all expectations, probably even yours!

Who was your best player during this campaign?

[Shake Appeal]

Good couple of wins to finish off

Against two teams that were already relegated! Yeah!

I've just sat and read through this whole thread. Really interesting story you've got going here. Particularly impressed by the fact that you turned down the Juve job

Thanks. I must admit I have used Juventus enough over the years of CM/FM that it's really just not as much fun anymore.

Fantastic end to the season - finishing 11th beat all expectations, probably even yours!

Who was your best player during this campaign?

Attacking midfielder captain Cesarini, easily. 9 goals and 10 assists in 32 starts. Scored one more than both Ganz and Chávez, our actual strikers.

[ShanghaiNugget]

I actually returned home from Venice just yesterday, and I was told to give you THIS message. It's all they were shouting from bell towers, and around Piazza San Marco, and from the gondolas passing by.

Great thread though. Nice layout and great success (so far!).

[Shake Appeal]

I actually returned home from Venice just yesterday, and I was told to give you THIS message. It's all they were shouting from bell towers, and around Piazza San Marco, and from the gondolas passing by.

Great thread though. Nice layout and great success (so far!).

This a truly awesome post.

[Deisler26]

That's awesome! Love the shirt!

[deltablue]

Brilliant stuff.

[HotChocolate]

Looks like a nice shirt and you have good handwriting

[mkjellander]

Congratulations on a very respectable first season finish. Despite some bleak spots during the season, that is nothing to scoff at!

[Shake Appeal]

Summer Round-up 2016

2015-16 Season: Squad Statistics / Italian Summary

Although dogged by at least one wretched run of form and some dispiriting performances from my young defence, this has been a good season. Cesarini continues to defy all the odds: signed for just €6K four years ago, he has established himself as an attacking midfielder to fear in Serie A. Surprisingly, though, it is Christian Chávez who the fans select as their player of the year, perhaps for the consistency of his creative work.

I would question the logic of naming our new ground after a loyal but thoroughly unremarkable servant of the club during its darkest days of Serie D mediocrity, rather than the inspirational manager who has, you know, taken Venezia to mid-table Serie A status in just four seasons, but what do I know? I just pick the team, right? It's a pleasing improvement in capacity and quality over our existing ground, and the schedule for construction is impressive, yet somehow there's something unromantic about it all.

Farewell, my beloved Pierluigi Penzo. I promise to do marvellous things within you during your final season. May you pass into rosy myth.

[video=youtube;8QDq2oHwnSk]

The merciless ravages of time also mean our facilities are starting to look further outdated compared to our peers. Our rapid rise has left us completely out of step on the infrastructure side of things, and that makes developing my young side to their fullest potential that much harder.

Jesus Christ, 'Collauto Park', really? Alessio Greco calls to tell me that this is the true spirit of Venezia: mediocre yet dogged servants of the club being rewarded for their faithful efforts. I ask him if he wants to return to the days of grinding out 0-0 draws against San Marino, and then feel bad when his laughter devolves into a coughing fit. The doctors maintain his cancer is in remission, at least.

Meanwhile, down in Serie B, Livorno are bought by a filthy rich Indian businessman who promises to transform the club with his extravagant wealth. We need to turn our own football club into a profitable, modern enterprise.

My first order of business on the transfer front is to find, for one season at least, a dependable left-back. That's a little unfair to Lorenzini, who's been with me for seasons and workmanlike in the role, but he's not Serie A calibre, and my other purchaes over the years have all been flawed in one or more ways. Laverone's personality is a hindrance, and he demonstrates as much again when I make it clear he's leaving. The problem is that I signed him at the last minute, in desperation, and his wage is inordinately high, which makes moving him on very tricky indeed. In the meantime, I agree a €750K transfer for his replacement, Fabio Pascucci, who at 20 years of age was the outstanding player in Crotone's otherwise poor Serie B campaign last term. He is at least as talented as Andrea Grieco on the opposite side, still young, of course, and most importantly level-headed.

The board sets initial wage and transfer budgets of €54Kp/w and €8.82M respectively, though I suspect these are a little generous given loan repayments will be bleeding the club over the thirteen or so months until we start playing games in our new stadium. I further convince the board to invest in our training facilities, and to also seek out a feeder club overseas.

Coralli, Donadel, and Marsili all leave the club when their contracts expire. The first two were simply getting too old (and too costly) to keep, and neither impressed last season anyway. Departures among the fringe players include Coluccio, Luciani, and Penazzato; Ghiglia moves on loan to Grosseto. On 1 July, I delay the co-ownership decisions for Zago, Baronti, and Locci, and welcome in Barlocco, Cavallari, Bartolini, and Pascucci. The renegotiation of contracts for backroom staff and players alike goes smoothly, with our highest earners Cesarini and Chávez agreeing to a small cut and no increase respectively.

I drop €850K on an 18 year-old Portuguese striker, Gabriel Dias, who is already impressing with his professionalism, determination, and composure in front of goal. He should provide Ganz and Marino with the incentive to put that little bit more work in during training.

My native Ireland reach the semi-finals of the European Championship, but are then beaten by Turkey.

Novara pay €2.7M for half of Piero Marino's contract. The money is too good to turn down, and the presence of Dias means I have two promising young poachers looking to outgrow Ganz as it is.

In the European Championship final, Russia beat Turkey on penalties.

I finally ship Laverone out to money-drenched Livorno, who raise his wage to an abominable €5K a week. I hope they don't realize he is dressing room cancer until it's too late, though their fans have already raised concerns in that regard. More money saved.

Unione Venezia 4 - 1 Ravenna (Friendly)

We dominate as expected. Ganz pulls back for Cesarini on half an hour. A team effort down the left ends with Cesarini firing a second in with 51 minutes gone. Morsia grabs one for the away side when we appear slack from a set piece, but Cesarini completes his hat trick with a placed free kick. Bartolini tacks on a fourth with a curling shot from outside the area.

€150K buys me Siena's 25 year-old midfielder, Antonio Meola. Not the best central playmaker, but the best I can afford, with a good attitude to boot.

Inter 4 - 0 Unione Venezia (Friendly)

These games are about building up fitness and teamwork, right? Because otherwise we're doomed. Goals from Konoplyanka, Parolo, and Konoplyanka again have us at 0-3 by half-time. We improve in the second period, but rarely threaten. Pazzini completes the rout on 80 minutes.

Siena 1 - 2 Unione Venezia (Friendly)

Giorgio Gonnelli gives Siena an early lead, but we're the better team throughout this one. Viscidi gets us back into it from 18 yards in the second period, before Bartolini (pen.) decides the result from the spot.

Livorno take Caciagli off our hands. I'm sad to see him go; he was once one of our best players, and ran our midfield in the first couple of seasons after I took charge. But he's simply not cut out for Serie A.

Unione Venezia 2 - 0 Watford (Friendly)

Our newly relaid pitch plays host to a ding-dong battle in which Watford have a hatful of chances, but we have all the possession. It's Dias who gets the opening goal for us, feeding off Chávez and Cesarini's interplay at the edge of the area. Arcangelo Cavallari adds a second toward the end from a Chávez corner. Watford traipse back to England empty-handed.

Avellino 3 - 1 Unione Venezia (Friendly)

An unmentionable first half sees us lose Milani and Baccarin to injury, while Lega Pro side Avellino rack up two goals from Saviolo and Bianconi against the run of play. Gatti adds a third after half-time as Avellino score all three of their shots on target. Barocco provides us with some sliver of consolation on 70 minutes, but it's not enough to stop me ordering cold showers in the dressing room afterwards.

Unione Venezia 3 - 0 Mallorca (Friendly)

A dreadful backpass allows Cesarini to steal in for an early goal. We control proceedings almost from the first whistle, but it's not until the 74th that we find our way through again, when Ganz fires a precise shot into the far corner. Cesarini (pen.) puts the stamp on a convincing performance from the penalty spot.

Messina 0 - 3 Unione Venezia (Friendly)

There's evidence in this last preseason friendly that Ganz is getting back to his best, and he times his run for the first goal in this one to perfection, and later dents the crossbar with a header. Locci powers in a header for two, and then Messina goalkeeper De Pandis (o.g.) punches a Bartolini effort in off his own post.

It takes €2.2M in total to coax Empoli and Fiorentina to give up their respective halves of Lapo Cusini's contract. At just 18 years of age, though, he's a highly-determined model professional who can make an immediate impact as a backup creative midfielder. Of course, this merely drags the average age of our squad down further to 22.16 years, the youngest in Serie A.

Unione Venezia 1 - 0 Siena (TIM Cup, Third Qualifying Round)

A bad-tempered game in which we have all the possession and Siena are utterly toothless. Yet we carve out few concrete chances on goal, while the general play is scrappy and halting. In the 90th minute, Chávez darts onto a loose ball at the back to get the decisive goal, but there should have been more.

It turns out we have quite a few young internationals now: I knew Cusini would be called up for the Italian U21s, but we now have five players in the national U19 squad. Loghin and Munteanu are both Romanian U21s, while Gabriel Dias is selected for the Portuguese U19 team.

Unione Venezia 1 - 3 Udinese (Serie A TIM)

Beginning your season against the defending champions is not ideal, but our young team does their best. In an even game, it takes 51 minutes for Kadlec to pounce on the volley from a dipping cross. Udinese's lead lasts all of two minutes, with Chávez's effort bouncing around the box until Dias can just about bumble it over the line. It's an ugly goal to open his account for his new club, but he won't mind. Then Bertolacci leaves the very defender I was trying to substitue for dead, and we're 1-2 down. A push for the equalizer leaves us exposed at the back, and when Grieco scythes down his man trying to recover a breakaway, Zé Renato (pen.) has no trouble from the spot.

[ShanghaiNugget]

Where are they going to build this new stadium? It'd have to be on 'mainland' Venice, which is even more unromantic.

[deltablue]

They could always take over Galatasarays. (Historical joke)

[Shake Appeal]

Is there a way to edit stadium names? I'd at least like to change 'Collauto Park' (which sounds weirdly English) to 'Mattia Collauto' in line with Italian naming conventions. Although obviously it should be The Divney Shrine.

[deltablue]

People have to be dead for a certain number of years before stuff can be named after them in Italy.

[Shake Appeal]

That makes the naming even weirder then, because Mattia Collauto still has plenty to say for himself whenever we're in a big game.

[ShanghaiNugget]

Maybe he's just dead to you.

[HotChocolate]

Stadium names are a right farce in FM.

[Deisler26]

Maybe he's just dead to you.

a LOL..............

[Shake Appeal]

September 2016

Lecce 1 - 2 Unione Venezia (Serie A TIM)

A belted shot from Cătălin Ştefan Ţîră bounces in off the underside of our crossbar after an early spell of possession for the home side. We get back into the game with a classic Cesarini and Ganz goal, the latter's first of the season. Three minutes later Ganz has his second, chasing down a long ball to mug Terranova. The second half is less busy, and we gradually edge the chances and tackling. In the end, Cesarini missing a penalty at the death doesn't matter.

Unione Venezia 1 - 1 Fiorentina (Serie A TIM)

On 23 minutes, a glorious Chávez chips finds Ganz in space, and when the striker's shot is stopped it falls to Cesarini to smack home. Fiorentina have their chances, but none on target, and we go into the break as the better team. In the 69th minute, a Chiodo cross is turned in by 34 year-old Alberto Gilardino. Cesarini hits the angle of post and bar with the keeper beaten late on, but looking at the general play and opportunities for both sides, 1-1 seems about right.

Napoli 2 - 0 Unione Venezia (Serie A TIM)

This match arrives three days on the heels of the last, and so the squad is significantly rotated. Ganz would have had an early goal, but for the flag on the far side. After that it's a fairly tame affair, but Napoli grow more and more cocky as the game wears on, the play is stretched, and eventually Mohamed Bangura drives a low shot from the edge of the area and Tonani can't get down quick enough. Ganz puts our best chance of the game in the keeper's arms, and then Bangura grabs a second and puts things beyond our reach.

Unione Venezia 0 - 2 Roma (Serie A TIM)

This one is nicely balanced until Pascucci sees red and takes Weiss out with both feet. Roma make their own heedless mistake, but Dias misses the penalty that results from Kryvtsov's foul. A breakway leaves us helpless as El Hamdaoui steps in to slot in the game's opening goal. And a good spell at the start of the second half means nothing when Pjanic finds Lamela from a corner. Goalscorer El Hamdaoui makes a vicious challenge on his marker and leaves the field to jeers from the Venetian crowd, but we fail to take advantage of 10 versus 10.

[Shake Appeal]

October 2016

Genoa 2 - 3 Unione Venezia (Serie A TIM)

We begin well, and then, on 26 minutes, Piccinini bursts into vacant space and draws two defenders before picking out Chávez for a simple finish. Genoa's goal is even simpler, though: Lorenzini is easily turned and the cross from the right finds Bernard Parker free between our two centre-backs. Junuzovic adds an exquisite free kick minute later and suddenly we're in trouble. Slack Genovesi defending is what saves the day: in the second half, Ganz is able to reclaim the ball within the opposition penalty area and lay it off to Chávez for the Argentinian's second goal. Both sides have chances to win it, but it's Fiorucci who rises from a corner in the 94th minute to smuggle three crucial points out of the Luigi Ferraris.

Unione Venezia 0 - 1 Inter (Serie A TIM)

A bright start against the struggling giants of Internazionale is soured when Munteanu, having coolly dispossessed his man in our area, then all but passes the ball to the lurking Adebayor. We pile forward in the second half and especially toward the end, but yield just one shot on target from 12 attempts. It is timid. It is saved.

Juventus 4 - 0 Unione Venezia (Serie A TIM)

It's one-way traffic in Turin, as expected, but we hold out until nearly half-time, when Chiellini and Marchisio string a passing move together that leads to Roberto scoring his first goal for the bianconeri. In the second 45, Borini (pen.) buries a soft spot kick, and we try and hide behind the ball for much of the rest of the game, hoping Juventus won't see us. No such luck. Quagliarella scorches our net a third time with a free kick from well outside the area; Bonucci heads in goal number four when he finds himself utterly alone at the back post. Shambolic.

Two places and two points above the drop zone. The honeymoon is well and truly over, and last year's sensational start seems like the foggiest of memories.

Unione Venezia 2 - 1 Novara (Serie A TIM)

It seems strange to be talking about must-win games in October, but relegation battles are a marathon, and games like these matter. Cesarini has a clear penalty denied inside the first 15 minutes, but gets his revenge almost immediately by picking his spot through a tangle of Novaresi legs. Otherwise the first half is a tepid affair. Sloppy defening in the second allows Cacérès to find a way back with a pinpoint finish from the edge of the area. This is a clumsy game of football that neither side deserves to win, but in stoppages a wayward cross bobbles free to Piccinini, and he smashes in to grab us all the points.

We climb to 12th, and the win sets us up nicely for the coming games against Catania, Brescia, and Cagliari, all currently below us in the table and ripe for a beating.

Catania 1 - 0 Unione Venezia (Serie A TIM)

Or not. For 75 minutes we look reasonably assured and slick, passing the ball well and approaching Catania's goal with something resembling organization and purpose. And then Francis Dickoh soars at a corner to punch a header goalward. It's Catania's first shot on target. Tonani gets the merest fingertip to it, serving only to direct the ball incrementally further upwards, so that it glances against the crossbar on its way into the back of the billowing, satisfied net. This is bad. This is very bad.

[Deisler26]

Bit of a stutter to start with. Good luck.

[Shake Appeal]

Maybe he's just dead to you.

His crowning achievement is playing a lot of games for the club while they were in Serie D. That is literally all he did: he played a lot of games. What a legend.

Look, someone even made a youtube montage for him:

[video=youtube;YTAtEjip-Ec]

He gets a youtube montage and a stadium named after him and I get beaten 0-4 by Juventus.

[Shake Appeal]

November 2016

Brescia 1 - 2 Unione Venezia (Serie A TIM)

Again we struggle to break our opponents down, though Brescia are weaker prey than Catania proved, and we are in charge of proceedings almost from the first whistle. 13 shots, five on target, produce no goals. Finally, on 50 minutes, Dias gets right to the byline before pulling back a hopeful, bouncing cross, that someone comes all the way to Bartolini. The teenager duly scores his first goal in orange, black, and green. Brescia take this as their cue to start playing football, and it takes some roaring from the touchline to keep my players pushing high up the field. All to no avail. We retreat, and eventually a Brescia cross causes Tonani enough trouble that Gonçalves can hurt us. In the 93rd minute a punted clearance causes some confusion in the Brescia defence, however, and Bartolini can take his time squaring it for substitute Baccarin to bundle in. Unconvincing, but we'll take the three points and run.

We climb to 13th. Meanwhile, I complete a €775K transfer for Varese's 18 year-old playmaker Alex Lardieri, whom my scouts have been touting for some time as a successor to Cesarini. We shall see.

Unione Venezia 0 - 2 Cagliari (Serie A TIM)

By starting in a deep, rigid 4-5-1, Cagliari are more or less demanding we play through them, but offering little threat by isolating Bojinov up front. When they score, it's from a set piece, Badu chipping it onto the toe of Ekstrand, who has no difficulty from seven yards out. All our pressure and possession amounts to little, as Cagliari adopt an even more negative approach in the second period. When Fiorucci walks for a second foolish yellow, I bring on a more attacking midfielder in Cusini and have Cuomo drop deeper rather than make a replacement in defence. The hole that's left is exactly what Dixon Rosales exploits as he's sent through on the counter for a second goal. Cagliari get everything right tactically, and nothing goes our way.

Palermo 3 - 3 Unione Venezia (Serie A TIM)

Predicted to challenge for the Champions League, Palermo find themselves at the wrong end of the table, and still I feel uncomfortable identifying the Renzo Barbera as a place to pick up a result. I start in an untested 4-1-3-2, trying to shore up the weaknesses I have identified with our play so far this year. On 11 minutes, however, Ganz rises majestically to meet Piccinini's deep free kick with his head, and we're in front. Unrepentant Frenchman Olivier Giround ensures the lead is short-lived, nabbing his own header from a Palermo corner. A perfect cross from Balzaretti then finds Giround for 1-2. Undeterred, Ganz gets us back in it immediately, doing well to find space before firing an even more impressive shot past Ujkani in goal. Balzaretti proves the literal thorn in our side, though, and another swerving ball from the flank is turned in by Ruben before half-time. After all that, the second half can only disappoint. At least, that is, until we revert to our usual 4-3-1-2 and Palermo look confused just long enough for Dias to smuggle in an equalizing goal. Result.

Unione Venezia 2 - 0 Triestina (TIM Cup, Fourth Qualifying Round)

Hosting Serie B strugglers Triestina is a golden opportunity to progress in the TIM Cup, and yet my focus remains steadfastly on not getting relegated, so I field what is very much a second team that includes one Simone Bortone, now 17, making his first senior appearance for the club. We are appreciably the better team in this fixture, but Triestina are playing to spoil; it's worth nothing their goalkeeper today is none other than Francesco Luciani, a petulant ex-Venezia backup option I finally rid myself of in the summer. Eventually Schiavi takes Cesarini's legs in the area and Dias (pen.) is able to convert from the spot. The game wears on without Triestina taking back the initiative, and Dias wraps things up after surging onto a Lorenzini pass from deep.

Any hopes of going much further in the cup are dashed when we draw AC Milan for the First Round match in January.

Unione Venezia 2 - 1 Reggina (Serie A TIM)

The team is in excellent spirits going into this match against a club bizarrely coached by André Villas-Boas, and that's reflected in our dominance of the first half, though neither side looks to be able to finish their chances. Early in the second, Signorini walks for a thoroughly pointless second yellow, but that doesn't stop Reggina waltzing down the field to score, with Stuani picking out an unmarked Coria in the middle. It takes Ariaudo shoving Piccinini in the box for us to level things through Cesarini (pen.). We press for the winner, and get it, albeit in a fortuitous manner: Munteanu whacks a cross into the box and it somehow spirals off Chávez into the waiting goal. They all count.

We rise to 12th, five points clear of the relegation places for now.

[deltablue]

Comfortable going, again.

[Shake Appeal]

December 2016

For the third straight month the club turns a decent profit, all the more exciting given this includes our obligation to pay €400K toward our stadium debt each month for the next bazillion years.

Lazio 1 - 1 Unione Venezia (Serie A TIM)

The opening 20 minutes are all Lazio, but we nullify their attacking threat and slowly assert ourselves, until it's clear who's the form side (our opponents are currently dead last in the league). After the break, Ganz moves onto a Cesarini through pass and calmly puts the ball past the onrushing keeper. This allows us to play an even more composed, and somewhat boring, passing game. Sadly. it does eventually dawn on Lazio that they're going to lose another game, and Youssef El Arabi arrives very, very late in the box to head past a motionless Tonani in the 82nd minute. Drat.

Unione Venezia 0 - 1 Sampdoria (Serie A TIM)

Nicola Pozzi is stretchered off with an injury just two minutes in, but our luck ends there. Despite our impressive start, it's Samp who take the lead, with Maxi López steering in a volley from 15 yards when surrounded by black shirts. We're unlucky to go into the break behind, and desperately unlucky not to score on the basis of our second half play. Already dominant, when we switch to an untested 3-3-1-3 towards the end of the game, with first Cesarini and then Bartolini cutting inside as a third forward, Sampdoria look routed; they even have a man sent off for a desperate second yellow. Yet while we finish with 16 shots and 66% of the possession, no goals come. This result, more than most, is a little demoralizing.

The board informs me of completion of works on our training facilities, though this has done little more than return them to the level they were at before they were deemed to have deteriorated. We still have a long way to go on the infrastructure side of things.

Alberto Baccarin comes to me demanding more first-team football, and after a lengthy debate on the subject, I agree to let him go. With Lardieri arriving, his role as a backup to Cesarini will be further eroded.

Milan 3 - 0 Unione Venezia (Serie A TIM)

I've no great hopes of rescuing so much as a point from the San Siro, and Djuric dashes what's left with a header after a quarter of an hour. We look frail from set pieces once again, and it's a free kick that finds Djuric for a second at the back post. Harsh words at half-time lend us renewed fervour in the second half, and ensure we don't disgrace ourselves, at least until Munteanu walks for a second yellow. There is no way back. The hole he leaves allows Djuric to feed Robinho for a late, deflating third.

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Not sure how this passed me by as I love the Italian threads, but massive kudos for getting where you are. I'm chuffed to bits for you getting to the top flight, hope you have enough to stay there again.