Europa League Special Part 1: Contenders for the trophy - Palermo
U.S. Città di Palermo
The top ranked club of Sicily has had its fare share of ups and downs in its history, frequently facing the humiliation of relegation to lower leagues. Since 2004 however, the club has been a constant fixture in the Serie A charts. The club had the honor of presenting four players to the World Cup winning squad of 2006 in the shape of Andrea Barzagli, Cristian Zaccardo, Simone Barone and Fabio Grosso.
The club has participated in each of the past three editions of UEFA Cup, only narrowly missing on the Champions League qualification round last season. With limited finances available for mega transfers, the club’s fiery President Maurizio Zamparini has focused on developing young players. Players like Edison Cavani and Simon Kjaer were signed at a young and unknown stage, only to be sold on profit years later. The average squad age is just 24.88 years which is one of the lowest in the league.
Palermo was neck-to-neck in their battle for the fourth spot last season, narrowly losing out to U.C. Sampdoria on match day 38. They will now appear in the Europa league with a strong squad.
Preferred Formation: 4-3-1-2
Defense
Palermo has one of the best young goalkeepers in the peninsula in the shape of Salvatore Sirigu. Many have tipped the goalkeeper to have a bright future. The young goalkeeper may just be the heir to the great Gianluigi Buffon once the legend decides to hang up his gloves. The midfield partnership of Cesare Bovo and Dorin Goian is reliable if not world-class. The loss of wunderkind Simon Kjaer was a huge blow. However, Federico Balzaretti on the left and Mattia Cassani on right make up for a solid back four. Both fullbacks are gunning for a national team spot and thus will be eager to impress the team management.
Midfield
Palermo plays a three man midfield. The Italian trio of Fabio Liverani, Antonio Nocerino and Giulio Migliaccio have all played together for long and have a good chemistry. The depth in midfield however is a worrying factor. Palermo will find it hard to replace Antonio Nocerino and Liverani should they suffer a long-term injury.
Attack
Palermo had a world class forward trident last year. The combination of Javier Pastore, Fabrizio Miccoli and Edison Cavani were white hot when in form. Cavani’s 17 million Euro transfer to Napoli this summer was a big loss. Massimo Maccarone replaces the Uruguayan international in the starting eleven but his consistency has always been an issue. Uruguayan Abel Mathías Hernández can be another option. At 20, the player has a lot of learning to do. However, he may still have a breakout season. Zamparini is known for pulling rabbits out of his presidential hat after all.
Key Player
The key player for Palermo will undoubtedly be Javier Pastore. Pastore signed for Palermo in July, 2009 after rejecting interest from European giants like Manchester United and AC Milan. The 8 million Euros being paid by the club president is turning out to be a superb investment. He managed to make his international debut at the young age of 20 which says a lot about his boundless potential. Breaking into an Argentina squad which has the likes of Sergio Aguero, Carlos Tevez and Lionel Messi is an achievement indeed. His darting runs and playmaking skills are reminiscent of a certain player called Kaka. His form and fitness will be absolutely vital if Palermo is to have a chance of progressing in the competition.
Chances
The squad that Coach Delio Rossi has at his disposal is too thin to compete on two fronts - the Serie A and the Europa League as well. The focus of the seasoned coach will definitely be on a Champions league spot. With stronger teams like Juventus and Manchester City also playing, Rossi knows his chances are slim. He would rather focus all his energies on the elusive Champions league spot than use up all his energies on a cup that has lost much of its charm since the start of the current Champions league format. Prediction - Palermo to be eliminated in the round of 16.
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