Position: 18th
Points: 31
Previous season: 16th, 36 points
Best Serie A scorer: Mbala Nzola, 13 goals in 31 Serie A games
Rating: 4/10
Season overview
This season was a very poor one for Spezia, who not only failed to match the points total from the 2021-22 season but were eventually relegated to Serie B following a dramatic relegation play-off against Hellas Verona on June 11. The Aquilotti won just three matches since the start of 2023 and a narrow defeat in Rome in the last game of the campaign, decided by a late penalty converted by Paulo Dybala, sent them to the relegation play-off. They were unbeaten against the Gialloblu with one draw and one victory, but the defeat in Reggio Emilia sent them to the second division after three seasons in Serie A.
Turnaround moment
Between matchdays 14 and 18, Spezia, for the first time all season, managed to string together five matches without defeat, which helped them to climb back into the 15th spot temporarily. However, that quickly came undone, and they went on another long spell without any further positive results. All in all, it appeared that Spezia really were hanging onto their top-flight status only by the narrowest of margins and in the end, it was not enough to confirm their Serie A status.
The coaches – Luca Gotti and Leonardo Semplici
Spezia went through three managers this season as they desperately sought to find some kind of turnaround. The Aquilotti started the term off under Luca Gotti’s tenure and then were managed by Fabrizio Lorieri for about a week until Leonardo Semplici’s appointment on February 23. Unfortunately, the managerial change really did little to change Spezia’s fortunes, as under Semplici, the team won just two games in Serie A. Interestingly, both wins were against two of Italy’s biggest sides (2-1 over Inter and a 2-0 result against Milan), but regrettably, those wins appear to be more of having a lucky day at the office as opposed to being the sign of any kind of uptick in form.
Player of the Season – M’Bala Nzola
What a past year M’Bala Nzola has had. The Angolan international had a rough start to his tenure with Spezia last season, where he scored just twice in 22 appearances and made more waves for an embarrassing cameo appearance against Inter back in April, during which he was subbed on and off in ten minutes due to an issue with the removal of his earrings. This time around, Nzola was a totally different player, scoring 15 times across all competitions for his struggling side, which is his career-high to date. Following such a brilliant campaign personally, despite the penalty he missed against Verona in the relegation play-off, Nzola is expected to leave Spezia with many Serie A clubs reportedly interested, including Roma.
Disappointing player of the Season – Szymon Zurkowski
It’s hard to pick just one for the Aquilotti, but perhaps the Poland international reflects Spezia’s bad season more than anyone else. He was seen as one of Serie A’s most exciting young players only a couple of years ago at Empoli, but he hasn’t yet fulfilled his potential. He was never a regular starter in 2022-23 and missed ten games across all competitions due to injuries. The 25-year-old only managed an assist in 12 Serie A matches and the competition for a starting spot didn’t seem impossible to deal with. He will return to Fiorentina after the end of his loan at the Stadio Picco, but on paper he hasn’t proved enough to stay in Florence long-term.
Michelle Bonsu