Since their debut in the top division in 2013, Sassuolo Calcio have enjoyed 11 consecutive seasons in Serie A, becoming one of the most solid and appreciated realities of Italian football. Amid avoiding relegations, exploits against top teams, a historic European participation and the growth of many talents, here are the moments that marked an unforgettable decade.
2013/14
First season in Serie A
The debut in Serie A brought an important change: Sassuolo officially moved to Mapei Stadium – Città del Tricolore in Reggio Emilia.
The first point and first victory
Simone Zaza’s goal against Napoli gave Sassuolo Calcio the first Serie A point in their history: on Sept. 25, 2013, in Naples, it ended 1-1. The first win in Serie A was instead obtained at Mapei Stadium, on October 20th, 2013, when Sassuolo beat Bologna 2-1 (goals by Berardi and Floro Flores) during MD8.
Mimmo's night
On Sunday, January 12, 2014, the public discovered Domenico Berardi: with his 4 goals against Allegri’s AC Milan, he wrote history, becoming the youngest player in Italian football to have scored 4 goals in a single match.
What a save!
Thanks to a magnificent performance by Gianluca Pegolo, Sassuolo took the win at Artemio Franchi stadium, Florence, in a thrilling 3-4 win, earning three crucial points to avoid relegation.
Still in A
With one game still to be played, Sassuolo secured their spot in Serie A for the following season! After the 4-2 win against Genoa on May 11, 2014, which came in the last minutes with goals from Sansone and Floro Flores, the joy of the balck&green fans could explode as they celebrate an incredible sporting feat.
2014/15
Growing
The following season was quieter for Sassuolo which avoided relegation with 4 matches still to be played, finishing at the 12th place of the table.
Luci a San Siro
The first of many
2015/16
A Historic sixth place
During the 2015/16 season, still with Di Francesco as manager, Sassuolo reached a historic milestone, finishing at the 6th place of the league with 61 points (absolute record of ranking for the Emilian club), and qualified for the UEFA Europa League’s play-offs. A true sporting miracle.
The myth of Sansone
2016/17
The european debut
During the 2016/17 season, the Black&greens were involved in two tournaments. The championship, beside the tiredness due to the Europa League, ended with a respectable 12th place.
The historic debut in Europe took place on July 28th, 2016, at the Swissporarena in Lucerne: the Black&greens earned a draw 1-1 (gol by Berardi) and thanks to a great victory (3-0) in the second leg at Mapei Stadium, they qualified for the following round where they faced a prestigious opponent: Red Star from Belgrade. However, Sassuolo didn’t get intimidated, they inflicted another 3-0 at home and with the draw 1-1 in Belgrade, they reached the UEFA Europe League’s group stage. The Black&greens were drawn in group F together with Athletic Bilbao, Genk and Rapid Vienna. The debut was exciting: Another win 3-0 at Mapei Stadium against an absolutely prominent opponent like Athletic Bilbao. However, during the rest of the group stage, the experience of the European opponents arose and, after the loss in Genk and the double draw against Rapid Vienna, the beautiful dream of Sassuolo was broken at the end of a tough match at San Mames stadium in Bilbao where the home team defeated the black&green 3-2. For the qualification, the last game against Genk became irrelevant: Sassuolo, however, left head-high the Europe League, an experience which is currently the highest point in the history of the club.
Difra's last dance
2017/18
A Yean of transition
The fifth season in Serie A began with the arrival of a new manager on the black&green dugout, Cristian Bucchi. The 2017-18 season was characterized by a slow start and at the end of November, following the defeat against Hellas Verona, Giuseppe Iachini replaced Bucchi to lead the team. With three consecutive wins (against Crotone, Sampdoria and Inter) and a draw against Roma, the Black&greens earned a 6-point margin from relegation. A drop at the start of the second half of the season seemed to question their stay in the first division but a positive streak of 14 points over 8 match days canceled the risk of relegation and they ended brilliantly the championship in 11th position with 43 points.
Black&green solidity
400 times 4
2018/19
The De Zerbi era begins
Sassuolo signed the emerging coach Roberto De Zerbi for the 2018/19 season. Sassuolo underwent a real technical and tactical revolution that saw the Black&greens play a prominent role in Italian football for three years. The Black&greens’ first year was already a positive one, with the team finishing the championship in 11th place and playing excellent football.
Mapei Football Center
On Monday 10 June 2019, the Mapei Football Center was inaugurated, a facility that became home to the entire black&green family and a true model on a national and international level..
2019/20
Between mourning and a new beginning
Everything will be fine
On 9 March 2020, Sassuolo faced Brescia in a surreal atmosphere. It was the last Serie A match before the Covid shutdown. The Black&greens won, but it was Francesco Caputo’s message after scoring the goal that went viral. With the arrival of summer and the slow improvement of the situation, the championship resumed: Roberto De Zerbi’s Sassuolo finished in 8th place with 51 points.
Raspa d'oro
A Ciccio is forever
Sassuolo-Genoa, on matchday 37, set two historic records in Serie A:
- 5-0, the biggest win ever in Serie A
- the record for goals scored by a black&green player in a single season (21), set by striker Caputo, who scored a fantastic brace in the match.
2020/21
the year of record
The 2020/21 championship, the last one with coach Roberto De Zerbi leading the team, showcases Sassuolo as one of the most beautiful Italian sporting realities. The Black&greens almost made the dream of a return to Europe come true, until the last minute of the last game: 7th place would have meant access to the UEFA Conference League’s play-offs. Sassuolo ended the championship with 62 points in the standings, a new record for the Black&greens in Serie A, tied with Roma, but the goal difference in favour of the Giallorossi ended the Black&greens’ European dream, as they finished 8th.
100 of these days
Euro Sassuolo
Gen S: the future starts today
2021/22
New course
In the summer of 2021, Sassuolo said goodbye to Roberto De Zerbi and signed a new, young and up-and-coming coach: Alessio Dionisi. His first campaign in black&green will turn out to be absolutely positive: at the end of the league, Sassuolo finished11th with a total of 50 points (tied with Torino but the goal difference rewarded the granata, who ended 10th).
David & Goliath
Dionisi’s Black&greens earned the nickname of “big team killers” on the field by winning numerous matches against the league’s top teams. The three victories achieved away against Inter, Juventus and Milan, a “hat trick” that had been missing in Italian football for 66 years, are newsworthy!
Superman Consigli
2022/23
10 years in Serie A
Sassuolo competed in their 10th Serie A campaign! The Black&greens led by manager Dionisi ended the season in 13th position with 44 points.
Berardi no limits
Magna 4ever
After 520 games with Sassuolo, captain and club icon Francesco Magnanelli retired from football in the summer of 2022. In his honor, the club retired the number 4 jersey during a celebration at Ricci Stadium, attended by numerous former teammates and friends who have accompanied Francesco on this journey spanning 17 seasons.
The end of a cycle
After 11 consecutive seasons in Serie A, the 2023/24 season saw the painful relegation to Serie B. Despite some remarkable results against the big teams in the league, Sassuolo struggled to earn the points needed to avoid relegation (finishing with only 31) and this led the club to decide to change coach with 13 games to go (replacing Dionisi with Ballardini), but such a move did not bring the desired result. Domenico Berardi’s Achilles tendon injury at the crucial moment of the season proved to be a decisive – negative – factor, as he watched helplessly his team being relegated to Serie B following a 2-0 home defeat to Cagliari.
Thus ended a bitter season that marked the end of a historic era, but also the beginning of a new chapter.
The story continues...