Sassuolo’s Extraterritoriality in 2023: Can a Strong Goal Be Hypothesized

Sassuolo Football Club continues to extol a calm and patient model of management that might be holding the team back from attaining greater heights. The club embodies a sense of ‘extraterritoriality’, maintaining a unique relaxed attitude, even when playing ‘away’ home games at the Mapei Stadium located in a different city in Reggio Emilia. Their approach has earned them an image of an ‘ideal world’ in football that’s free of the usual high-pressure and drama.

However, there’s concern that such a comfortable pattern could lead to complacency and stagnation, limiting the team’s capacity to make that defining leap in quality. Notably, the team’s performance in the last season took a hit under manager Alessio Dionisi, finishing 13th in the table compared to the prior 11th-place finish. The lack of ambition became particularly evident during the last 6 games of the past season, where Sassuolo had four losses and two draws. Observers argue that such performance indicates the team’s tendency to rest on their laurels once they attain safety in the Serie A.

Constantly occupying a mid-table position has become a norm for the team. Some believe that this could lead the management to develop a sense of self-satisfaction and induced narcissism from the praise they receive. This raises the question of when the team will start to aspire for actual objectives beyond merely remaining in the Serie A.

Looking ahead, hopes are high that Sassuolo might consider setting higher goals like securing a spot in the UEFA Conference League or making significant progress in the Coppa Italia championship. Such ambition can be seen as a logical next step for one of the most virtuous football clubs in Italy.