What a mess in Vimercate: rules ignored, game lost

Pro Patria has been awarded a spot in the Round of 16 of the Coppa Italia Serie D by default. The disciplinary committee upheld the appeal filed by the club—coached by Zironelli—following their Round of 32 match against Leon, awarding the Bustocchi a 3-0 victory. The basis for this drastic measure was the Vimercate team’s failure to comply with the requirement to field three under-age players simultaneously—a rule that was not observed for several minutes in the second half.

The decision thus overturns the result on the field—which had seen Leon win 4-3 in a penalty shootout—and changes the schedule for the round of 16. On Wednesday, the 18th, at 2:30 p.m., Pro Patria will face Sanremese, taking the place of the Brianza-based team.

Mauro Zironelli is well-versed in managing young players, a central theme in this situation. In the past, he led Juventus’ Under-23 team, the Bianconeri’s reserve squad designed to develop young talent. During the 2018–19 season, that team—built by Cherubini—had to fight hard to avoid the relegation playoffs in Serie C. A former Modena player, Zironelli also coached the Canarini. On November 25, 2019, he was fired following a 1-0 loss in Cesena, which left the Emilian side with 20 points—the same as their Romagna rivals. Michele Mignani took his place.

Pro Patria’s history has also intersected with the top echelons of Italian soccer. In 1969, goalkeeper Giuseppe Moschioni—who passed away at the age of 90 last October—played for the Bustocchi. He had been a key figure in Foggia’s historic first promotion to Serie A and was the first backup goalkeeper to play in a match in Italy’s top division. After his stint at Pro Patria, he ended his career at Como during the 1969–70 season.