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Promoted Profiles: Can Pisa Hold On To Serie A Status?

A series looking at the promoted sides from around Europe’s top 5 leagues. Up next:

Pisa


The 34 year wait is over. Pisa are finally back in Serie A. The former runners up to the Italian title (1920/21) (if you can count that with Pisa being re-founded twice since then) will hope to finally establish themselves as a Serie A side having been swiftly relegated any time they came up in the 80’s. They will hope to do this without the man who brought them up. Pippo Inzaghi will stay in Serie B after Palermo agreed a deal that suits everyone. Pisa get some cash from Inzaghi’s release clause, Palermo get a promotion specialist, and Inzaghi gets a big pay bump.


Departures


Apart from Inzaghi it doesn’t look like there will be much activity on the departures front. 


Christian Sussi, who made just the one appearance for the Nerazzurri last season, is leaving on a free.


Arrivals


Two Serie B youngsters make their way to Pisa this summer, both arriving from struggling Frosinone. 


Isak Vural - at just 19 he could find the jump to Serie A tough. The Turkish midfielder is hypothetically ideal to slot into a midfield 3 with Pisa star Matteo Tramoni and a defensive midfielder. At 6ft 2 he has the size and physicality to be a quality box to box midfielder. Lacking a bit creatively he is more suited to progressing the ball with his dribbling skill rather than forward passes. At 4.5 million it’s a big swing for the newly promoted side. He will need game time to get up to speed but I will be excited to see what he can do if he gets that opportunity.


Mateus Lusuardi - a left footed centre back who has only played 18 games of professional football. He has a lot of developing to do but has the physicality to make it in the top flight. 6ft 3, strong build, and good in the air. In his 12 appearances last season for Frosinone he did not 2 (very scrappy) goals not a bad return. He has the potential to be a really decent centre back, if he can learn to use his right foot occasionally and works on his positioning. The new coach will have to work closely with Mateus to help him jump to that next level. But for 450k it’s low risk, high reward.


Alberto Gilardino - an interesting hire. Gilardino seems to run hot and cold at his clubs. At Genoa he initially guided the side to some great results as an interim then as permanent coach. But fell off hard, ending his tenure with 1 win in 11 matches. He was replaced by Patrick Viera who immediately turned Genoa around. Alberto is just 43 and is still new to management. This season is huge for him. If he can lead Pisa to safety or at least put up a decent fight his stock will rise quickly, if it goes poorly however he might not get another Serie A gig for a while. 


The squad


Attacking midfielder Tramoni and goalkeeper Semper carry Pisa’s hopes of staying in Serie A. 


Semper has earned back to back promotions, Como in 23/24 and Pisa in 24/25. Last season he absolutely earned a chance to prove himself in the big leagues. Destination Calcio named him in their Serie B team of the season touting the Croat as Inzaghi's best signing. The keeper conceded just 33 in his 36 league appearances and added a sensational performance in Pisa’s 3-0 coppa italia victory over Frosinone.


Tramoni the other star in Pisa’s tower, scored 14 in just 27 appearances last season. Not bad for an attacking midfielder. If the Nerazzurri can add some attacking depth around the Frenchman his assist numbers should grow immensely. Just 3 assists last season but created 28 chances.


Pisa mostly lined up in a 3-4-3 last season and I see that continuing. Veteran defender Antonio Caracciolo will be key in marshalling the back line, and the physical wing back Irdissa Toure will be a threat down the right. 


Expectations


It is a weak bottom half to Serie A this season Pisa will need to pick up some wins from those teams around them as they did in Serie B, picking up 3 wins from 4 against their fellow promoted sides.


An unproven coach paired with a lack of top flight experience gives me hesitation in predicting Pisa to stay up. I think the real Nerazzurri will provide us with some entertaining results but ultimately fall short of safety.


Prediction: 18th but back again soon.

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Check out the Sassuolo preview: https://deegosport.blogspot.com/2025/07/promoted-profiles-can-sassuolo-reclaim.html

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