Cagliari doesn’t listen to rumors about Fabio Pisacane
Cagliari has regrouped around Pisacane, anticipating a training camp in Assemini ahead of Saturday’s challenge against Cremonese. The defeat against Sassuolo hit the islanders hard, complicating a salvation race that until a couple of months ago seemed safe, especially after the three consecutive victories at the end of January. Since then, however, the performance has plummeted: in the last eight games there have been just two draws and as many as six defeats, the last four consecutive. It is a deep crisis that has ignited criticism of coach Fabio Pisacane, who has gone in just a few weeks from great strategist to the target of protests and, according to some, at risk of exoneration. The club, however, does not consider in the slightest the hypothesis of exonerating him.
Saturday’s defeat at the Mapei Stadium has a particularly bitter taste, because it came after a comeback suffered in the second half. Cagliari had managed to take the lead thanks to a penalty converted by Esposito, only to collapse in the second half: at 50′ Garcia equalized with a precise shot from the distance, while at 78′ it was Pinamonti who signed the decisive goal, served by Bakola and good at turning and passing Caprile. In the final, to make the Rossoblù evening even more bitter, Obert did: the Sardinian outfielder, having received a golden ball after an empty exit by Muric, incredibly missed the goal from a defiladed position, wasting what could have been an opportunity for the equalizer.
With this result, Cagliari slips to 16th place, overtaken by Fiorentina – victorious 1-0 at home to Verona – who reached 32 points. The margin over the relegation zone has thinned further, making every point between now and the end of the season potentially decisive.
The moment of difficulty is certainly nothing new in the last few hours. Already in late March, the club had tried to shake up the environment by opening the doors of the CRAI Sport Center in Assemini to fans, inviting them to attend a training session ahead of the Reggio Emilia away match. A sign of unity that, however, did not have the hoped-for effects on the field. In the same weeks, the discussion on the corporate future had also heated up: president Tommaso Giulini had admitted the possibility of an entry of new investors linked to the new stadium project, with an involvement that could reach the majority. Words that, inevitably, had also fueled doubts about Pisacane’s future on the bench, although the coach continues to enjoy the trust of the club.
A small positive note, in this gloomy scenario, had come from the recovery of Andrea Belotti. The striker, who has been out of action since Sept. 27 due to a ruptured ACL suffered in the home loss against Inter, had resumed training with the group during the break and was aiming to contribute as early as the challenge against Sassuolo. It was a long-awaited return for a team that has shown obvious offensive shortcomings in recent weeks.
Now the gaze is already set on Saturday’s match against Cremonese, an opponent that is far from in good form: the grigiorossi lost 2-1 at home to Bologna on the day just ended, with the Rossoblù Emiliani going ahead by two goals already in the first quarter of an hour thanks to Joao Mario and Rowe, before Bonazzoli’s flagship goal in the 91′. Cremonese remains firm on 27 points, just three points above Cagliari, making Saturday’s direct confrontation a salvation clash in its own right. The next calendar then holds prohibitive challenges such as Inter, Atalanta and Milan: for the Rossoblù, the one against the Grigiorossi could be one of the last real chances to move up the standings.
