Position: 13th
Points: 45
Previous season: 11th, 50 points
Best Serie A scorer: Domenico Berardi, 12 goals in 26 Serie A games
Rating: 5.5/10
Season overview
This season was Sassuolo’s tenth consecutive appearance in the top flight following their promotion at the end of the 2012-13 campaign. The Neroverdi did just enough to avoid the drop, and they once again did nick points off Italy’s biggest clubs (including defeating both Milan and Roma in 5-2 and 4-3 thrillers respectively). Of note was their shockingly early exit in the Coppa Italia, as they were beaten 3-2 by Modena in the round of 64. Overall, not a season really to brag about, especially considering that Sassuolo’s last win was a 2-1 result over Empoli at the end of April. Indeed, Alessio Dionisi’s men concluded this campaign by failing to win a single Serie A match in May (three losses, two draws) before putting on an ill-tempered and petulant display during their 3-1 loss to Fiorentina in their final home game.
Turnaround moment
At one point, Sassuolo did briefly flirt with the possibility of sliding into the relegation spots – but only briefly. The Neroverdi, who were basically like a roller-coaster all season, experienced everything – from confidence-boosting wins to crushing losses. However, their four-match winning streak from matchdays 24 to 27 appeared to be just enough to ensure that they ensured safety for the upcoming campaign, plus, beating then-reigning Scudetto champions Milan 5-2 at Stadio San Siro certainly didn’t hurt. Yet after securing their spot in the top flight with some games to spare, it appeared that quite a few players were already thinking about their summer holidays and were just there to do the bare minimum, and hence, the team’s overall disappointing end to this season.
The coach- Alessio Dionisi
Alessio Dionisi, who has been in charge of Sassuolo since the summer of 2021, was unable to better his record from last term, but in all fairness, he did lose key player Gianluca Scamacca to West Ham during the summer 2022 transfer window. And, as many reports indicate, he could be losing yet another instrumental player, Davide Fratessi, to the Premier League this summer, meaning that Dionisi, whose job appears to be safe, will need to fill yet another big hole in his starting XI next season.
Player of the Season – Domenico Berardi
Despite their season not exactly setting things alight, Domenico Berardi continued to be a loyal servant for the club which helped him become a household name. He is no longer a rising starlet but is now approaching the peak of his career. Berardi posted a solid 12 league goals (13 in all competitions) for the Neroverdi despite making slightly fewer appearances this term due to injuries. With several clubs linked to him, it will be interesting to see if Berardi remains with Sassuolo for yet another season, or given that he will be 30 in just a few years’ time, looks to move elsewhere to gain the chance to feature in European competitions.
Disappointing player of the Season – Andrea Pinamonti
With Scamacca off to West Ham, Sassuolo scrambled to find a replacement and settled for Andrea Pinamonti from Inter. Scamacca and Pinamonti are the same age, and to some extent, similar (tall, strong centre-forwards), so the Neroverdi were looking for a like-for-like replacement. Unfortunately, that didn’t turn out as planned, with Pinamonti scoring just five times in 32 Serie A appearances for Sassuolo this term, but he will have further opportunities to improve as his contract at the Mapei Stadium runs out in June 2027.
Michelle Bonsu