Citta di Palermo in the 2013-14 Season
Serie B Finish: Champions
Match Results: W25-D11-L6
(Featured image: Palermo | Source: Zimbio)
Palermo were champions in the 2013-14 season of Serie B, automatically giving them a well-deserved spot in the Italian top-flight football. The side were generally very impressive throughout the season and while they may have struggled in the tournament’s earlier weeks, they eventually found traction and dominated the entire tilt even before the season ended. They were the most prominent team on score sheets, fan surveys, and even in online betting sites.
Palermo entered the competition following their relegation from Serie A. Before this, they spent nine consecutive seasons in Italy’s highest league. There were issues on the managerial situation of the side as former coach Giuseppe Sannino and the club were not able to arrive with an agreement. This led to the search of a potential new coach. World Cup and Champions League winner Gennaro Gattuso was eventually picked for the role. Gattuso had only a short player-coach stint at the Swiss club FC Sion in the previous season in terms of managerial experience and his choice was met with mixed reactions.
The side started their Serie B campaign with a draw against Modena and a surprise home loss to Empoli. These were later turned around with back-to-back wins over Padova and Cesena. However, Gattuso’s inability to fix the side’s inconsistency—especially after they incurred another pair of defeats from Spezia and Bari 1908—inevitably led to his sacking. He was replaced by the more experienced Giuseppe Iachini who was able to improve the squad’s standing dramatically. By the end of the season’s first half, Rosanero were already at the top of the rankings. In addition, Abel Hernandez came out as the side’s top scorer and one of the 10 best players of the season.
Five weeks before the season’s conclusion, Palermo were mathematically crowned Serie B champions after a 1–0 triumph at Novara. The announcement was a league record for Italy’s second-tier football.
