Cittadella’s new season starts now.

A disappointing second half of the season finally ends for Cittadella, as they miss the playoffs for the first time in five seasons. Now it’s time to flip the page and start preparing for the 2022/23 season.

Cosenza keeps their league survival hunt alive with a tense 1-0 win in front of their fans at the Stadio Gigi Marulla. They knew a win would guarantee them a playout spot against another relegation rival team, which is exactly what they were hoping for at the start of the week.

Cittadella came into the match knowing they’ve been out of promotion playoff contention for a while, and were looking to end the season on a high note after beating a very good Brescia side last weekend.

With two teams in two different mindsets, it was the home side that were victorious on Friday night. A glancing header by substitute Massimo Zilli was all I Lupi needed in a 1-0 win. That win solidifies Cosenza in a two legged playout against Vicenza, who also won 1-0 against Alessandria, sending them to Serie C in the process.

So Cittadella’s season officially ends. No playoffs, no relegation, and a 11th place finish with 52 points, only six points behind the last playoff spot.

For a large part of the season, Edoardo Gorini and his side looked in similar position compared to prior seasons: just above the playoff line and playing decently all around. But then came March, the start of a poor string of results that eventually led the Granata out of the playoff picture.

It started with a 1-2 loss to Monza at home; giving up a 93rd minute winner despite playing with a two man advantage for over 30 minutes. From that game till now, Cittadella won two games and collected 10 points out of a possible 33, dropping them from 8th place to 11th in two months.

It’s without a doubt a disappointment considering Cittadella has been able to clinch a place in the playoffs year after year under Roberto Venturato. In the first season with Edoardo Gorini–his first year as a head coach–the team showed weaknesses not seen under Venturato. A lot of that comes down to experience, where Gorini has learned a significant amount of in just one year.

Another area of change was the absence of Manuel Iori, the former captain and leader who retired at the end of last season. Gorini also had to deal with not having key players such as Federico Proia and Davide Adorni.

It’s been a very interesting year for this club. A lot has changed in just a span of a few months. But lets not dwell on this, because there are signs that next year will be better. Yes, I may sound like a broken record. But given the lessons Gorini has learned, and an exciting summer transfer window coming up, Cittadella can get back into their playoff self with key signings this summer, especially in the attack.

It’s time to flip the chapter and start to focus on the next. Cittadella will have to wait another year for a chance at Serie A. But a new season starts now, and the first part of the Gorini era comes to a close.