Coppa Italia Femminile, transfer rumors, and approaching fixtures – recapping Cittadella’s week.
On January 8, 2023 by Jake IovineA lot went on in the first week of 2023 for Cittadella, who find themselves in a bad place to start the new year. The Granata sit in 19th place after 19 games in Serie B, and now are finding solutions in this valuable January transfer window.
While the Pisa road trip may only be a week away, there was action at the Tombolato as Cittadella Women hosted Juventus Women in the Coppa Italia Femminile. In front of over 2,000 spectators, Cittadella put up a great effort against the Italian champions despite a 1-3 loss.
A lot happened in the Venetian town this week, so let’s dive into the action.
Cittadella Women fall to Juventus in the Coppa Italia Femminile
Despite a great showing against the 2021/22 Serie A Femminile champions, Cittadella Women fell short against Juventus on Thursday. Playing at the Stadio Piercesare Tombolato, more than 2,000 fans packed the stadium as well as the edition of the Rabaltai Ultras.
Juventus took the lead in the 31st minute after Annahita Zamanian finished off a perfect through ball in behind the defense. The Bianconere found the net once more ten minutes later, when Agnese Bonfantini headed in the second goal of the game.
However, Cittadella didn’t go down without a fight. Just minutes before halftime, Sofia Kongouli followed up a rebound to put the Granata into a good position heading into the break. Kongouli has been an impactful player for Cittadella this season, scoring 12 goals from 12 league games this season.
With time ticking down, both teams had opportunities to find the net again. In the end it was Juve who finished the deal in the 84th minute, after Cristiana Girelli scored from the penalty spot to give the champions the win at the Tombolato.
“I’d like to give Cittadella credit,” said Juventus coach Joe Montemurro after the match. “They’re well drilled and played their game to the best of their ability.” The Juve boss also was impressed by the atmosphere at the Tombolato, saying it was “fantastic at a brilliant stadium.”
Even with the loss, Cittadella showed their capabilities and abilities to be able to make a push for promotion this season. Currently only two points from the promotion places, it’ll be a fun ride to the end for Salvatore Colantuono and his team.
Getting down to business in the mercato
Just one week into the January transfer window, it sees new rumors comes out almost every day. It’ll be a busy month for sporting director Stefano Marchetti, who needs reinforcements to recover from a dismal opening half of the season.
Right back Alessandro Salvi was announced on Friday, making his return to Cittadella. The veteran defender signs a year and a half contract with Citta, while also looking to add much needed experience and quality to the team. Salvi played 115 games for the Granata through 2015 and 2018, and has the experience needed for a struggling team staring at relegation.
With the club signing a new right back, it raises more speculation that Tommaso Cassandro may be on the move to Serie A side Lecce. First reported by Sportitalia, the Puglian club have been interested in purchasing Cassandro since the window opened. On Thursday, Nicolo Schira reported that negotiations were now beginning between the club and player. Lecce are determined to get the young right back, who is currently playing in his third season with Cittadella.
Elsewhere, Marchetti has turned his attention to the attack and Renate as he looks at striker Tommy Maistrello. According to Tuttomercatoweb, there’s been an agreement between both teams for the signing. Maistrello was not called into Renate’s squad for their match against Sangiuliano City over the weekend.
Il Corriere dello Sport also reports that Giovanni Crociata from Südtirol will be with Cittadella very soon. On loan from Empoli, the midfielder has not impressed with Südtirol, and Cittadella looks ready to take the midfielder.
Big fixtures coming up
It all starts next week: Cittadella travel to Pisa to start the “ritorno” round in Serie B. Pisa have not lost a game since Luca D’Angelo took over for Rolando Maran. Currently 14 games unbeaten, it’ll be a huge test for Cittadella in Tuscany next Saturday.
The following weekend sees the Granata host Cagliari, who then travel to the Stadio Pierluigi Penzo to face Venezia to close out the month of January. All three games will be crucial if Cittadella want to stay afloat in the relegation race, and will be big for Edoardo Gorini’s spot as head coach.
Cittadella Women also have three matches coming up in January as they resume from the winter break. On the schedule is Ternana, Napoli, and Sassari Torres. Colantuono’s side are dreaming of promotion to Serie A Femminile, and currently sit in 5th on 25 points, two points behind Napoli in 2nd.
Top Photo: juventus.com