Cremonese announced Sunday to have sacked Massimiliano Alvini and appointed Davide Ballardini to put up a better fight in the relegation race. The Grigiorossi are still winless after 18 rounds and have collected 7 draws and 11 losses. They are at the bottom of the standings, seven points behind the 17th-placed Sassuolo and nine below Spezia and Salernitana.
The Lombard team had poached the previous coach from Perugia after Andrea Pecchia, who had led them to the promotion, decided to leave and eventually took over Parma. They didn’t manage to pick up many positive results despite generally playing good-looking football. The gaffer, who had no previous Serie A experience, was axed after four consecutive losses versus Empoli, Juventus, Verona, and Monza.
According to Alfredo Pedullà, Cremonese had to give in to some requests by Ballardini, who had initially turned down the job. He will earn €500k until June, with a hefty bonus if they avoid relegation, and €1M plus add-ons in 2023/2024, no matter how they finish this season.
The veteran boss will aim for another miraculous comeback. He succeeded on a few occasions with Genoa, which he coached in four separate stints. He also helmed Palermo, Bologna, Cagliari, and Pescara during his career.
Our Take on Cremonese, Alvini, and Ballardini
It’s unfortunate for the previous manager, who’s a sympathetic character and deserved a shot at the top, but they needed a spark. They went with an uninspiring but safe choice, given his experience with these situations. They still have a puncher’s chance, but they’ll need a lot of help from the transfer market.
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