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Club Summary

Virtus Lanciano, known by their fans as Frentani, is a small club playing their football in Serie C1/B. Lanciano is a humble town with a population of 36,570 in the Chieti province of Southern Italy. The professional club, have no need for a trophy cabinet having only two successes in their short history, winning the Serie D Group G and Serie C2/B in 1999 and 2001 respectively. Frentani maintain fierce rivalries with Cheiti, Sangiovannese and Ternana. The later, Ternana, are also playing in Serie C2/B, so the fans eagerly anticipate the annual confrontation between the two clubs.

The club play at the 8000 all-seater Guido Biondi but it is rarely full as only 1050 diehard fans hold a £152 season ticket. Other than the stadium, Frentani possess average training facilities and a decent youth academy. The club has an estimated value of just £600K and this is mainly due to the fact that they only rent the Guido Biondi. The finances are relatively stable with no loans outstanding but the club wage bill has to be reduced.

Frentani Legends are few and far between but 27 year old striker, Francesco Di Gennaro, has returned from Verona on loan for the season and is an iconic figure in Lanciano. Undoubtedly, the new manager will look to the striker to spearhead Frentani’s push for promotion this year.




Pre season update to follow but I won't update every day like some stories.
 
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Pre Season Update

So first day on the job, I arrived at the Guido Biondi. My first impressions of the squad were very good, my predecessor had obviously constructed a strong spine in the team. The defence is governed by Frentani captain, Paolo Antonioli, and experienced goalkeeper Mauro Chiodini who will be vital this season.
Also, my two centre midfielders look very talented.
Finally, club legend Francesco Di Gennaro is likely to be vital to my chances of promotion.

I will be competing in Serie C1/B, so I thought I should have a look at the top teams and the format of the league. Like most leagues, the season is from August through to May. The winner of Serie C1/B gains automatic promotion to Serie B, whilst teams finishing 2nd to 5th compete in the playoffs with four teams from Serie C1/A for the final promotion spot. This is sure to be a lottery so my primary aim is to win the league. With a media prediction of 5th, I believe I have a good chance.


In terms of competition, there are several big teams in the league. Benevento and my fierce rivals Ternana both have 2000+ stadium capacities and strong teams so are likely to be huge forces in the league. Also, Taranto are odds on to win the league so Frentani face a stiff challenge this year.
After discussion with the club chairman, we decided on the modest target of a top half finish. I have £300K to spend but the wage bill is in the red so finances are tight in Lanciano. As a result, my activity was minimal. I sold the volatile Alessandro Volpe for £10K, and brought in right back cover in the form of Matteo Anania for £5K.


I met with my assistant manager and agreed to play a solid 4-4-2 with a rigid back 4 allowing a more expansive and attacking midfield. The formation is fluid so it can become a 4-3-3 if a match isn’t going my way. I will look to dominate games and score one more than the other team, even if it means winning 5-4.

The pre season friendlies have gone very well for Frentani, winning all their games. Virtus Lanciano have scored 25 and only conceded 4. Surprisingly, Roberto Colussi has stolen the pre season show scoring 7 in 2 games. Hopefully, he can be as effective in the league. Also, I made my managerial debut in the Italian cup but unfortunately, Frentani lost out to Serie B outfit Novara.

Well that’s it for the pre season. Hopefully, Frentani can make a good start to the season!

All comments are welcome.
 
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