Cittadella, Virtus Verona looking to respond from cup exit in regular season opener

The curtain raises on the 2025/26 Serie C season.

Cittadella opens its regular season league campaign on Sunday afternoon as Manuel Iori’s side visits Virtus Verona.

Both teams will be looking to respond following losses last weekend in the Coppa Italia Serie C to newly promoted sides. Cittadella were dismantled 2-0 in Ravenna while Virtus Verona fell at home to Forlì.

Only twice in the last ten seasons has Cittadella dropped points in its league opener. The Granata will be looking to extend their recent success in season openers in their first meeting against Virtus Verona.

Iori wants a ‘fighting spirit’

Iori’s first competitive match as Cittadella head coach didn’t go the way he wanted in last weekend’s loss. The 43-year-old will be aiming for his side to rebound on Sunday, where he wants his players to show a different attitude.

“I want to see a fighting spirit,” Iori said in his prematch press conference. “As well as everything that we did in preseason, which we didn’t see last match.

“We weren’t clear-headed. We ran a lot more than in other matches, mainly because we wanted to do more and instead we went too far.”

Iori confirmed the availability of veteran midfielder Alessio Vita, who missed last weekend’s trip to Ravenna due to injury. New signing Mattia Gaddini is also recovered for the match, but midfielder Francesco Amatucci is still unavailable for selection.

Virtus Verona: a tricky task for all

The Rossoblù will begin their eighth consecutive season in Serie C. Under the leadership of Luigi Fresco–head coach of the club since 1982–Virtus Verona is known to be a difficult challenge for any team in the league.

Last season’s group winners Padova and runner-up Vicenza lost at the Stadio Gavagnin, making the narrow pitch and stadium a challenging task for visiting teams.

“It’s a club that has its values and excellent players,” Iori said on Cittadella’s opponents. “We need to be very careful, knowing that we will suffer at times. But we need to suffer with the right spirit with the things we’ve tried.”

Virtus Verona finished 9th place in Girone A last season, and that success was largely contributed from the goals of striker Michael De Marchi. The former Cittadella player netted 16 goals and four assists for the Veronese club, helping Fresco’s side finish with a 15-11-12 record.

This season, however, Fresco will be without key midfielders Dino Mehić and Antonio Metlika, both of whom departed in the summer. The club recently signed forward Tommaso Mancini on loan from Juventus, while center back Luca Munaretti rejoined the Rossoblù in preseason.

Like Cittadella, Fresco’s team will be aiming to start their regular season campaign with three points on Sunday afternoon.

“I’m not worried about our physical condition,” Iori said. “You need to have balance, in a sense that the Ravenna match is behind us and we worked all week to play this game.”

MATCH: Virtus Verona vs Cittadella | Serie C Sky Wifi Matchday 1

DATE: August 24, 2025 | 18:00 CET (12:00 EST)

VENUE: Stadio Gavagnin/Nocini | Verona

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PHOTO: Massimo Felicetti / A.S. Cittadella