Sporting Director Stefano Melissano press conference

This afternoon, in the press room of the “Alberto Picco” stadium, Spezia Calcio’s Sporting Director Stefano Melissano addressed the media following the renewal of his contract with the club, which will now run through 2027. Here are his statements: “Good evening, everyone. Thank you for being here today. It’s been twenty days since the playoff final, and I’d like to start right there, by thanking each and every one of you for what we experienced together. It was an incredible season, especially considering where we started, after a very difficult previous year that, unfortunately, didn’t end the way we had hoped. Now, a new season awaits us, and although we’re starting from scratch, our ambitions remain the same.

There was a lot of disappointment, for everyone, from the club to the entire city. But then you take a moment to reflect and remember how far we’ve come. The positive emotions definitely outweigh the heartbreak of that final night. Of course, we were disoriented for a few days, but then we regrouped and got right back on track with the right mindset.

I want to express my gratitude to the ownership and to CEO Andrea Gazzoli for the trust they’ve placed in me. In Serie B, objectives need to be approached step by step. The first target is to reach 45 points. Then we can begin thinking about something more ambitious, and so on. Serie B is a league that often defies expectations, we’ve seen that firsthand. Just yesterday in the playout, two clubs originally tipped for promotion were fighting to stay up. So we’ll need to stay focused, play one match at a time, remain united and solid, and lay the right foundations to build something meaningful, one step at a time.

As of today, the one official development is that the ownership has exercised the option to acquire Aurelio, showing once again that they are there for us when it matters. The transfer market is moving slowly right now, with options being triggered or not, so everything is progressing gradually. But we have a clear vision of what needs to be done, and we’re confident we’ll put together a team worthy of stepping onto the pitch at the Picco.

The club’s guidelines are very clear: we’re not going to make reckless moves in the transfer window, because that doesn’t align with our reality, especially after a challenging season that brought with it some understandable concerns. Our first priority is to build solidity and competitiveness within the club. Then we’ll play our hand, as we’ve always done.

Last year, we had some bad luck with our goalkeepers. Today, we have four under contract: Crespi, Mascardi, Sarr, and Chichizola. Technical decisions, however, aren’t up to me, my responsibility is to build a solid squad. It’ll be up to the coach, as always, to make his choices based on his ideas. As of today, there are no concrete developments regarding any departures; in the coming weeks, we’ll assess the situation.

Salvatore Esposito and Wisniewski had such strong seasons that they’ve undoubtedly drawn interest from Serie A clubs. That said, there are currently no ongoing negotiations. Today, they’re part of our squad. If an offer comes in that satisfies both the club and the player, then a transfer might be discussed. As things stand, we have a solid foundation of players, so we won’t need to make significant changes, just replace Bertola and Pio Esposito, who are the only ones to have left so far.

We do have some excess in the squad, we had five forwards at one point, which can become a challenge to manage. Reca has moved on, but we have time to find a proper replacement, just as we do for Bertola and Pio Esposito. Aside from that, we’ll have the same midfielders as last year. Yes, we’re losing Degli Innocenti, but others are returning, and we’re currently evaluating whether they can contribute to our project. There’s time, the transfer window is long this year, and we believe that if we assess things carefully, the right opportunities will arise. We’re not under pressure or rushing into any decisions.

We had the pleasure of working with Pio Esposito for two years. We were fortunate to help him grow and give him an opportunity, one he repaid with goals and performances. Replacing him won’t be easy. But a team is never built around just one player. Perhaps Pio became the player we saw this season thanks in part to the support of the entire squad. As of now, we have four forwards, who are still on vacation. Starting next week, we’ll check in with them to see if their plans align with ours.

Degli Innocenti will not be redeemed as things currently stand. We’ll see how things develop, but he’s not a priority at this moment.

We’ve intentionally given our players space because we know the disappointment was overwhelming for everyone. But those who stay in Spezia must truly believe in our project. If someone is unhappy, it’s only right that they move on. We no longer want to carry the burden of having unhappy players in the locker room, as we’ve seen in the past. So those who want to stay are welcome with open arms. Those who want to leave will be allowed to, if the right conditions are met.

Is Elia on his way out? As of now, no one has contacted us about him. It seems to be a situation similar to Salvatore Esposito and the rumored interest from Besiktas, no concrete approach has been made in that case either.

Our plan for building this team will not change based on the players returning from loan. They’re not exactly eager to come back, and we’re not actively pushing for their return either. It has to be a mutual desire. So in that sense, we’ll continue on the path we laid last season.

As for contract renewals, we’ve had preliminary discussions with Vignali to try and find the right conditions to continue together. Most of our players, though, have longer-term contracts, so that’s not currently a major concern.

There was never any doubt about the coach. Naturally, after a loss like the one we suffered, everyone needs time to process, reflect, recharge, not to find motivation, though, because that’s something our coach will never lack when it comes to being part of this club. We talked things through, allowed time to decompress and move past the disappointment, and then picked things back up. He’s remained the same throughout. We’re in constant communication, speaking multiple times a day, and we share a clear and transparent vision.

Have we been in touch with Spezia natives Mulattieri and Maggiore? They’re both talented players with important contractual situations. Having local players in the squad means a lot to us, it helps build identity and a sense of belonging, just like we’ve done with Cassata and Vignali. But in order for that to happen, several pieces need to come together, so we’ll see how things unfold.

As for the Bertola situation, there’s a bit of disappointment there. On the pitch, Nicolò proved to be an outstanding professional. Unfortunately, other dynamics come into play, agents, clubs, so yes, there’s some disappointment. But we also need to understand that he’s a young man going through something like this for the first time, and he may have felt overwhelmed or confused when making his decisions".