Master League Story #9: Season 1: The Myth of Grande Torino!!
Comizzo Finally Tests Himself in the Biggest Stage in World Football!!
. We have all grown to know him in my
Master League Stories. Yes. The fiery, temperamental, mercurial, yet at the same time intensely passionate
Argentinean manager, with an outsized personality, has traveled halfway around the world in his
ML adventures, creating riveting stories regardless of his destination. We are familiar with his story: The ex-River Plate goalkeeper who had an up and down start to his managerial career in Latin America, who had a mixed bag of successes and forgettable runs in Peru and Mexico, started up his story with us as he left the continent for the first time. After his first managerial experiences, and perhaps at his lowest point of his career,
Comizzo went halfway around the world to try his luck in faraway
Japan, in the AFC, and in the process took previously unheralded and little-known
Gunma United from the brinks of
J1-League relegation to
winning the AFC Champions League in only 3 spellbinding seasons, and thus
becoming a legend in Asian Football.
Comizzo took Japan by storm, clashed with reporters, and ultimately embraced the culture and the customs (but not the Sushi) of a very different land, as he reached what could only be described as Rockstar status. Yet, in a move that surprised everyone, he suddenly left Japanese shores and ended up returning to South America for a two-year spell in Peru's
Deportivo Municipal, with none other than Peruvian legend
Jefferson Farfán under his wing.. This had been the latest chapter of
Comizzo's story.. But soon, his career would take a drastic turn. Yet another twist in his personal story that would take football observers unaware, and would create a whole new, definitive chapter in his career.
But before we embark on this adventure, it is worth noting how he arrived in his new destination in the first place. After
winning the AFC Champions League,
Comizzo's managerial world was wide open.
Gunma offered an extension, and perhaps even more impressively, he received several highly lucrative offers from
Europe as well as some of
South America's biggest teams. But his next move left many perplexed: Seemingly out of the blue, he decided to pack his bags and go back to Peru, to a romantic, historical team called
Deportivo Municipal who had unfortunately fallen on very hard times, nearing bankruptcy and in danger of disappearing. This decision shocked the Japanese media, as many pundits and experts had expected him to either continue with
Gunma, or to accept a more lucrative offer in a more glamorous destination.. But
Comizzo's mind was set. After the emotion of the
AFC Champions League title had settled, what he really wanted was to go back to Peru, to set things right with
Municipal. A strange decision? Maybe so to most people, but not to the unique footballing mind of
Ángel Comizzo. He was determined to set things right with the Peruvian squad and bring them back to relevance.
Comizzo spent 2 fighting years in
Municipal, and even though he did not win any trophies or qualified to any major international championships, his time in Peru was a beautiful one, and a memory that he would cherish forever, simply because he almost single-handedly
saved the team from relegation and bankruptcy. It was a very dark time for
Muni when
Comizzo had taken over: 50 years without titles, much more urgently, the team was on the brink of extinction, facing mounting debts and a situation of instability. Yet, following a financial restructuring of the team (in which
Comizzo played a part, aiding and giving ideas), and with the promise of fan ticketing and investment purchasing a good amount of the debt, the path forward seemed to gleam with more hope. In a striking maneuver, our
Argentinean manager was able to use his recruiting instincts to sign
Jefferson Farfán. The Ex-Eindhoven and Schalke Peruvian legend was a free agent and had a massive salary reduction due to the fact that he was coming off not one, but two knee surgeries and his career was seen as almost surely over. Yet, as
Farfán had spent his formative years in
Muni,
Comizzo used the sentimentality angle to help convince him to return to his roots and help save the team after many his offers had dried up in
Europe and elsewhere. This was seen as nothing less than a coup by
Comizzo, a strategic master stroke, and the rest was history: After two years in which the team finished
9th and 7th in the standings, the ship was very much set on course and righted. The fans started to swell the stadium, and in that short time period, only two years, the debt was mostly paid off and the team amazingly survived.
Muni had taken a huge risk, since survival was almost entirely dependent on performance, stadium attendance and fan support, but the reward was indeed forthcoming. In addition,
Farfán's return to
Muni reinvigorated his once tired legs, as he surprisingly remained healthy and was able to continue his career after that, accepting a lucrative offer from Sao Paulo of Brazil after helping to save the team. Indeed,
Comizzo and
Muni's gamble had paid off in more ways than one. He had risen
Muni from the ashes, ensured their continuity, and under careful yet inspiring guidance, led
Farfán on the comeback trail.
"A great story and a mission accomplished".
Now, with an
AFC Champions League under his belt, and his
position in South American football restored,
Comizzo had several options. Many had not understood his desire to go back to Peru, why was he leaving the footballing big-time after being
Asian Champion to go a relatively unknown Peruvian team and save them from extinction, not only taking a massive pay cut but toiling away so far from the spotlight. Well,
Comizzo's footballing soul was molded from a different base. His motivation had never been driven by fame or finance, and he felt he had a job to do back in Peru.. Yet, as his job was complete, a different, yet stronger and more direct hunger started to beckon in
Comizzo's heart,
a hunger that could not be satisfied in South America. He knew that his time at
Municipal was coming to an end, that he had done his job, and that his heartstrings were pulling him in a different direction, a larger stage, and the
third chapter of his managerial career. After an emotional and somewhat combative press conference in which he expressed thanks to
Muni's fans for helping him save the team and took his shots against the always suspecting press, he finally closed his Peruvian campaign with strength, dignity and irreverence,
his place in Muni's history safe and sound.
Ángel Comizzo: "I still remember what the press said when I first got here to Peru: 'What's he doing??' you guys asked.. 'This will be his biggest failure, and
Muni's extinction will be
Comizzo's responsibility' others said.. I heard those calls and criticisms, but guess what.
Muni was saved, and much of was due to being brave, bold, and have a clear vision. Once again, I proved all of you wrong. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to
Municipal for believing in my vision. We restructured the team, brought
Farfán and resurrected his career, and most importantly, we saved the team from an almost surefire extinction. I did what I set myself to do, what nobody understood at first, but now and in time, football history will prove that I was right.
Municipal is a historic institution, and I know that it will be so for many many more years. But now, my time here is complete, and
even if I won't miss you, I will definitely miss being in Peru. My path now leads elsewhere."
Despite his fighting words against the press,
Comizzo's mind as at peace with his decision,
yet his heart was fiery. He was longing for this new challenge, and he knew that this spark that was starting to burn like embers in his heart was a desire unfulfilled:
Angel Comizzo had not yet coached in the biggest stage in football: The continent of Europe, the most romantic, ultimate challenge. This thought consumed his mind, knowing deep inside that this was the destination that he always wanted, and represented continuance to his managerial story that made perfect sense, the missing puzzle piece of his story. As such, he spent the first few weeks of the summer expecting calls from
the Old Continent, and was initially disappointed when no teams had contacted him. Had his stock fallen since his
AFC Champions League triumph? No matter,
Comizzo thought to himself. "I will take matters into my own hands". Waiting was not part of
Ángel Comizzo's gameplan, it had never been. He started doing research of possible European teams in search of a manager, making mental lists and thinking of possible scenarios and destinations, taking his time but also thinking things through.. Then, on a wind-filled afternoon, destiny smiled at him, and gave him an unmistakeable sign: While drinking a cup of
the strongest Argentinean coffee in a small Buenos Aires suburban coffeeshop, far from the crowds, he stumbled upon a
European tourism magazine: "Las Ciudades Míticas de Europa" (The Mythical Cities of Europe). Almost without thinking, he thumbed his way to a section which showcased
Italy, and a picture of the city of
Torino appeared which was immediately striking. A double pager, showing its architecturally unique and historical city centre and the imposing
Mole Antonelliana..
Comizzo's gaze was suddenly transfixed upon this picture, without really knowing why.. He kept looking at the old streets, the feeling evoked by them, the imposing Alps and the Mole, all bathed in
Italian colors, and then, suddenly, it came to him, with the force of one hundred onrushing bulls, a decision that was striking yet quite irrevocable and that brought with it the strength of a simple, beautiful truth just realized: The team that he wanted to coach was staring him right in the face:
This team was Torino FC, The Bull of Turin, Il Grande Granata!! 🐂
Yes. As
Comizzo stared at the buildings and the architecture of the
beautiful Northern Italian city, he felt an aura of mystery and romance surrounding it. Not as well known as other cities such as Roma, Napoli, or Milan,
Turin seemed to him a more
classical city, on the foothills of the Alps, and possessor of a strange, eerie, yet enchanting and bewildering charm..
There was something about this city that stirred inside of his soul. He then read about the famous "
Esoterismo a Torino", the city's reputation for its mystical and some say magical aura, a duality of light and dark forces stemming from
Piazza Castello and
Piazza Statuto, creating a duality of forces, finding this contrast absolutely enthralling.. Innumerable tales, speaking of spirits and magic, of spells and urban legends were to be found in this city.
Comizzo felt it, and as he kept delving into the details, he found these forces to be indeed spellbinding. Instead of running from them, or deeming them too strange or supernatural, he was fascinated.. This was another point to be added to the scale of passions.. And then, when he saw a picture of the stadium, something inside of him just clicked. There was something beyond, something that spoke of a force of nature that compelled him to
Torino FC, Il Grande Granata.
It had nothing to do with logic, it had everything to do with feeling, an overwhelming sense that he belonged there, that the city, full of its small, labyrinthic streets, dark and light tales, romance and superunknown forces, was calling him, him and only him, to coach the team that bore the city's name.
There was something indeed magical about how Comizzo felt drawn to this location, shrouded in twilight and contrasts, of tales forgotten and tales remembered, of romance and historical enigmas, of Juventus and
Torino. Yes, he remembered Juventus and Torino, the eternal
derby della Mole, dubbed that way due to the imposing monumental building he had seen in the pictures dominating the skylines, the Old Lady and the
Dormant Bull, La Vecchia Signora and
Il Toro Granata, and he knew.. Just knew that his mission was to revive the old strength of the Bull, that this was part of the duality which so attracted him to this city, and he knew instantly what side he was on.
This was not just a mere interest, but had become an obsession. He had to find out if he could link himself to the
Granata.
As it turns out, and as it seems to happen in cases such as this, the Gods of Football had delivered two strange coincidences. After the failure of last season's
Toro performance, (a season in which
Toro had finished 17th, JUST escaping relegation), facing declining revenues and dwindling attendance, the team was sold to
(MFE) Millossobek's Football Enterprises, a small but visionary group whose sole purpose was to dedicate itself to football, football and nothing else.. As a smaller organization, they
don't really focus on huge European teams, nor do they really want to.
MFE was fully concentrated on smaller teams and "historical sleeping giants", and bringing them back to relevance, an ambitious vision who did not only have profits in mind, but a romantic mission statement, one dedicated to the establishment of legacies and stories.
Torino was a perfect candidate for a new project, a traditional and proud team with one of the most passionate fanbases in Italy.
Along with the recent
MFE acquisition, the second coincidence was a sure sign for
Comizzo:
Torino's job was available after's
MFE's purchase. The previous manager,
Marco Giampaolo, had been recently sacked due to the
poor 17th place position of the previous season. This was a true signal for the Argentinean to act. He immediately rang up
Torino's headquarters and simply stated: "Buongiorno.
I am Angel Comizzo. You might know me for winning the
AFC Champions League with
Gunma United, or for rescuing
Deportivo Municipal from the doldrums of bankruptcy, or perhaps you many not know me at all. But I called to tell you this: I feel my destiny is inextricably linked with
Torino, and with the new management". And just like that, in true
Comizzo style, without the help of agents or intermediaries, he had an interview lined up, a meeting with
Millossobek's Football Enterprises, who had been looking for a fresh-faced, bold manager and were paying close attention. After listening to his direct, confident and irreverent style,
MFE decided to set up a meeting with him, seeing in the Argentinian a kindred spirit. So it was that
Comizzo flew to
Italy, marvelled in the sights for a bit, and then immediately pitched his idea to the
Granata management.. During the meeting, he laid out a plan, put forth with vision and passion, a plan which
MFE immediately agreed with: After years of being a bottom-table team, and the dreadful 17th place finish last season,
Comizzo's bold idea was to attack the Top 9 almost immediately, with a simple yet daring plan: Use his recruitment skills to bring in a
World Class Leader in the midfield, and an upper-echelon striker and other elements that could flow from this acquisition.
MFE decided to take a gamble and hire him, seeing that their visions matched, as that they could all see the potential of a suddenly awakening Bull in
Torino, their ambition and vision complementing each other. A handshake and a one-year contract ensued. And now that he was hired, it was time for
Comizzo to deliver on his promise: To captain his team, he had in mind a player,
a very special player that he had envisioned from the very beginning.
A major plot switch: In this story,
Luka Modric is not 37, but 27. Far away from the warm coasts of
Zadar, Croatia, his country of birth, he has been toiling away at the famous White Heart Lane, Tottenham Hotspur, for the better part of 4 years. However, his time in North London has been far from a happy one. Having survived a tough childhood in the post-Balkan wars
Croatia, loving football from the start of his life, having risen from the ranks of
Dinamo Zagreb (owned by a different group in this story, not the polemic Zdravko Mamic), and enchanting an entire league with his unassuming personality, otherworldly vision and a
golden right foot straight from the footballing gods, the entire continent started to take notice of the diminutive and exceptional midfielder. Not blessed with strength, height, or blinding pace,
Modric was (and remains)
a magical player whose mind was as imaginative as his feet, creating pieces of art on the pitch, in the the museum of football. And this did not go unnoticed. After being courted by Barcelona, Arsenal and Chelsea, Spurs immediately expressed major interest, eventually signing him on a multi-year deal. Things looked great for the immediate future. Yet,
Luka did not flourish in the Premier League. Although he was able to keep up with the pace of English Football, he was asked to play a much more Central Midfielder role, a role which he adapted to and had good performances,
but lacking the freedom and expression capacities that he cherished..
Luka was constrained by a much more rigid system at Tottenham, and even though flashes of brilliance came more than occasionally from the deep-lying playmaker position, he felt limited.. After four years, he knew in his heart
that his cycle at Spurs was coming to an end, on the pitch and in his heart of hearts. He could be seen, staring absent-mindedly into space after matches, and his last season in England had been marred by somewhat inconsistent performances and what journalists called
"a somewhat lost and despondent look in his eyes". Some wondered
if he had lost his fire to play football. Others asked themselves whether he was being underutilized at Tottenham. His stock in the transfer market dropped, once seen as one of the most promising youths in the world, many top teams did not see him as an elite-level player anymore. There were questions about his passion and his commitment.
Comizzo (ever the observer of football, even from a South American vantage point), had been observing intently. The
Argentinean knew deep inside that, despite
Luka's somewhat unfortunate four years in England,
that the world-class quality was still there. There was something in
Modric's eyes, in his play, that let
Comizzo know that the
World-Class player was still there, in fact, that his full potential had not beek awakened, it just needed to be unearthed. He had no way of knowing this. It was purely intuition.
One day, as
Luka was weighing his options, he received a phone call from the
Argentinean manager.. asking him for a low-key meeting away from the bright lights of the press.
Luka was not familiar with
Comizzo, but something in his voice, the confident way he called him "
Luka" from the very beginning, a certain
warmth and irreverence seemed interesting to the
Croatian. At the meeting,
Comizzo exhibited his plan: He knew that
Modric was homesick, that he felt a bit out of place and questioned in the
Premier League and that his creative playmaking had not been fully utilized at Tottenham. He was also aware that he had not adapted well to English life, and wanted to be closer to home, to a more
Southern European culture he could relate to more. Most importantly,
Comizzo knew that what drove Luka, the fuel in his engine, what he really needed, was a footballing challenge he could truly embrace. Comizzo dismissed talks of Luka having lost his desire, he knew that it burned deep inside him, that
his first and foremost love was football, he could see it in his eyes. He knew he could
restore his confidence and his joy.
"
Luka"
Comizzo said in a secluded Hotel Lobby outside of London. "I know you feel like you don't belong here. And I agree. You don't.
You belong here, in my project. I am offering you something that Tottenham never could. I am offering you the
immediate captainship of
Torino. And not only that, you would be playing at your most natural
Attacking Midfielder position. I will give you the freedom to fully express yourself on the pitch."
Modric looked at the
Argentinean's eyes intently, engrossed in what he was hearing.
Comizzo continued: "What you need,
Luka, is a footballing challenge you can fully embrace. I know you might have offers from other, more glamorous teams. No, no need to answer, I know.. But here, in
Torino, I am giving you a unique chance: To create
YOUR OWN STORY, to be our
captain and leader, the maestro that I know you have inside of you, unleash the little blonde
Croatian kid who played on the streets of
Zadar, the maestro in your soul. I know your quality,
Luka, you can make a whole country sing, a while world become enchanted with your play. What I am offering you is to be the mastermind behind my entire plan, the weaver of all our hopes and the creator of all our aspirations.
It's a huge responsibility, but it's also a beautiful one."
Modric was all in. This was enough to covince him, hearing the passion and the commitment in
Comizzo's voice. He saw in the
Argentinean a manager that truly believed in him, in a way that Tottenham never did. He came to the realization that, after meeting this manager he did not previously know, that
this is what his heart truly wanted. It just took him meeting
Comizzo to find out what was really inside of his heart. He was being offered not only the
Captainship of the
mythical, mystical Toro, and a chance to start anew in the Calcio, but he was being given the opportunity that he always wanted, his one true desire: To express himself truly on the pitch,
to leave all of his artistic sensibility on the field and paint the canvas with his style, his grace, his composure, his spirit, his artistry. Yes,
Comizzo saw the poet inside of Luka, the painter and composer, the streetballer and the leader and in return,
Luka decided to give him his best years as a footballer, his prime and his soul. "Yes boss"
Modric said softly yet with conviction, after a long, introspective silence.. "
I believe in your vision, and I will repay it tenfold with all of my spirit." They shook hands in the cold London hotel lobby. And so it came about that
Luka Modric signed a 4-year contract with
Il Toro, Il Grande Torino, the Granata.
The news of
Modric signing with the team was met with an immediate roar of approval by the
Torino "fedeli", and a vote of confidence in their newfound and
enigmatic manager. They did not forget
Toro's history: Their 19th century foundation. Their
7 Scudettos (many of which came in the
Grande Torino generation of the 1940's). The 1949 Superga Air Disaster which tragically took the lives of all of their players. Their difficult and slow climb back in the 1950's and 60's. Their subsequent relegation and the 1974 title (
their mythical Seventh), the sting of relegation and their slow climb back in the 1980's. Their 1992
UEFA Cup Final against Ajax and 1993
Coppa Italia win against Roma, and subsequent floundering years between
Serie A and
Serie B in the late 90's and 21st century. Their near relegation last season and the long-standing and long-suffering rivalry against the
Italy's giants, Juventus. They did not forget any of this, and now a new chapter was about to unfold.
Toro's fanbase, long known for its
passion, devotion, and color, knew that signing
Luka was an entirely new and promising possibility, that it could signal great and momentous things for their dear club. Many remembered his brilliance in
Dinamo Zagreb, the effortless way he seemed to
glide on the pitch and his ability to direct an offense, what a promising youngster he was in
Croatia, and knew that this could be an entirely new beginning: The identity of the
historical Bull could rise from the ashes of long-standing mediocrity. Hope returned to the
Granata, as they unfolded huge banners which simply read "
Grazie Luka".
Modric's signing had become a reality, under the gaze of a
mysterious manager, virtually unknown outside of
Europe. Tens of thousands of fans packed
Stadio Olimpico Torino for
Luka's presentation, chanting his name in unison as he could barely contain his tears of happiness, his emotion clearly visible. In his understated, yet direct and heartfelt way, the
Croatian said said: "Grazie.. Thank you all for this beautiful welcome.
I feel your warmth in my heart, I truly do..
Grazie Torino. My story is now yours."
Comizzo had found his
Capitano.
Backed by a willing ownership,
Millossobek Football Enterprises, it was time for
Comizzo to add the second part of his vision. As a big believer in the power of personality,
Comizzo knew what he wanted and needed, the perfect complement to
Modric: A big, strong and imposing striker,
with an equally large personality, someone who could execute the powerful finishing touch to
Modric's on-field orchestra and symphony. "You see",
Comizzo declared to the press.. "A musical symphony is not enough to have a successful team. You also need force, strength, determination, and quality up front. We have found it". Enter
Duván Zapata, the well established
Colombian Striker who, with his imposing presence and even larger smile, could light up a room as well as the scoreboard.
An Italian League nomad,
Duván had played for Napoli, Udinese, Sampdoria and most recently with his compatriot Luis Muriel at Atalanta, forming a 1-2 punch that had given power to I Nerazzuri and had established them as a solid contender to "
The Italian Big 6". Yet.. even though
Zapata was content,
Toro's proposal was creating a new and enchanting vision in his mind: the allure of playing alongside a true playmaker, someone who could weave the connections between the midfield and his powerful finishing, and the injection of hope from
Luka's signing proved to be fascinatingly convincing: He wanted a new challenge, and now that
Torino's offer was on the table, he was more than happy to join
Comizzo and
Luka in his new role. He put on the
Granata shirt in the introductory press conference with a huge smile on his face and stated,
in accented but fluent Italian: "My hope is immense.
Manager Comizzo has reminded me of my
South American heart, and playing alongside an experimented creative playmaker like
Luka has always been my dream. I feel this shirt as my own now, and after jumping from team to team here in
Italy, I truly hope that I have found a home here in
Torino." The second piece of the puzzle was now firmly in place, as the
Colombian Giant signed a
3-year deal to the delight of the fans, who saw this signing as nothing short of a coup-de-grace, a steal from Atalanta.
Comizzo was proving to be a masterful persuader.
Now it was time to build the rest of the team.
Modric had signed as a free agent at no cost, but
Duvan's signing had not been cheap, especially for a team who had recently been chipping at the heels of relegation. It was definitely time to get creative, However,
MFE's shrewd management, guided along by
Comizzo's vision, led to a large overhaul of the team, resulting in the departure of many players, as half of them left or were sold in the transfer window.. The market was moving for
The Bull! Aging players left or were sold at relatively good prices, and promising youngsters and players in their prime who had not jelled well with the team also ended up departing, leaving financial room to build around the remaining squad. Yet some remained:
Raoul Bellanova, one of the rising stars of the team and right back, was given a contract extension, as was Brazilian stalwart Center Back
Bremer,
Rolando Mandragora, solid at Defensive Midfielder, and
Etrit Berisha as goalkeeper stayed. However, many other players came in, such as backup veteran Striker
Kevin Lasagna (brought in to relieve
Zapata), Midfielder
Marco Benassi, Turkish Center Back
Kaan Ayhan, speedy left winger
Justin Kluivert (son of the legendary Patrick Kluivert), and many others. The team was finally taking shape, molded under the watchful and
always analytical eye of Ángel Comizzo, and as opening day drew close, the
Argentinean manager felt that he had the team he wanted in the face of the
Serie A challenge. Yes. the biggest, most epic and most beautiful challenge of his career. As the season drew closer,
Modric put on his
captain's armband,
Duván started to practice his shots and his headers, and the solid foundation of players and signings were getting themselves on point.
Hope was high in Torino, could this be a great year? Could this be a year that could exceed expectations? Would
Comizzo's vision become a reality, attacking the top half of the table? The time had finally come:
Welcome to Serie A, the start of
Ángel Comizzo's European adventure.
The season would not start easily for
Torino. When the fixtures were released, we had to face the
two strongest teams in Italy first: A opening
matchday derby against our eternal rivals Juventus and a trip to San Siro to visit Inter.
Comizzo was instantly suspicious.. How could it be that the FIRST match of the season would be against Juve, who had won
9 Scudetto's in a row, and with mostly their crowd?? Were the
Calcio authorities trying to draw the rug from under his feet in his first
Italian experience? In true
Comizzo fashion, the
Argentinean questioned if there were any hidden motives for not only the first fixture being Juve, but the second one being Inter. He felt there was something fishy in the works: "They are trying to destroy all our momentum from the very start,
this smells like a conspiracy!!" he said in his FIRST press conference of the season.. Much to the chagrin of the
Italian reporters.. And as the first fixture finally arrived, and facing a hostile crowd of mostly Juventus fans, things did not look up, as La Vecchia Signora would race to a 2-0 lead, courtesy of the best player in the entire league, none other than Cristiano Ronaldo. Although it was exciting to see the new look
Torino, this match would prove to be a rude wakeup call, not an unfair result but a frustrating one.
Comizzo was entirely convinced that this had been done deliberately as he stormed off the pitch, and was fined $10,000 Euros IMMEDIATELY for questioning the organization of the tournament. Despite the defeat, the team had played well, with
Modric clearly feeling freer and happier than he had ever been in North London, and with
Zapata displaying a bounce in his step, but unfortunately it was a bit marred by the controversy: Juve's talent was too much to overcome, and a 2-0 result ensued.. The
Italian press was alight with
Comizzo's declaration, and many journalists were irritated at the nerve of this brand-new manager.. More of this would come. The press would undoubtedly get to know
Comizzo as the season went on.
Fixture 2 was a much more positive result:. Despite the fact that
Comizzo remained furious at the scheduling, quite sure of a conspiracy, there was nothing else he could do but soldier on and go mythical San Siro to face mighty Inter (an Inter with very
South American flavor, with Alexis Sánchez and Lautaro Martínez as the forward duo, and Arturo Vidal in the midfield). In a hard-fought match where we started trailing 1-0 (things were not looking good for us, as Lautaro and Sánchez were piling up attempts against us), in a rapid counterattack, our Right Winger, Spaniard
Aitor Ruibal crossed the ball to diminutive
Justin Kluivert and just like that, the legend's son equalized in min 43 for our first goal of the season. Subsequently. the second half featured more pressure by Inter, but owing to
Comizzo's strong defensive tactics, we were able to preserve the 1-1 tie. Despite the initial setback, this was an encouraging result against Inter, and with three upcoming games at home, perhaps we could make something happen. Yet we could not capitalize, drawing 1-1 to Udinese and then in fixture 4, losing 1-2 against Spezia.. These results were particularly frustrating as in the game against Udinese,
Luka scored an absolutely beautiful goal following a classic run from the midfield in minute 74, but Udinese equalized in the last minute.... (argh!) And Against Spezia, we had a maddening number of shots hitting the post, and even though
Zapata scored, an 89th minute penalty kick taken by
Modric hit the post once again! Were the footballing gods against us? We weren't playing badly, but after the first four fixtures, we were
0-2-2. near the bottom of the table! Despite the strength of the schedule, this was not the start that
Comizzo or the
Torino faithful were expecting, and the
Italian press had a field day, with headlines reading: "
Comizzo busts up the team!" "
Granata: More Smoke than Reality", "
Modric Lacks Confidence in the 89th minute", and "
New Manager,
Same Story" being some of them.
Toro needed a win, fast, not only to quell the doubts rising from the fans and the press, but also to justify
Comizzo's and
MFE's bold prediction of attacking the top of the table.. Thing had not gone as planned, as
Zapata had only scored once in the first four games, and
Modric's missed PK in the closing moments of the Spezia game did not help his cause despite the fact that he was playing well in the midfield. However, there would be a sudden and hopeful reversal of fortune, as these doubts were quickly dispelled in Fixture 5: We closed our home stand with a match against Sampdoria, an encounter where we finally met ourselves with
a long awaited victory (courtesy of two goals by
Duván Zapata and one by
Benassi). We had finally achieved our first three points of the season in a 3-1 result! The two goals by Duván, especially, were classic
Zapata scores, powerful angled strikes full of force that seemed to announce,
Serie A, here I come, and now we could breathe a bit easier. This win moved us up to 13th place, but much more importantly it gave us confidence moving forward.. But things would not come easy, as we then had to another difficult trip, this time in Stadio Olimpico, vs Roma. Even though
Comizzo was pumped for this match, playing in the
mythical Italian capital, Roma was able to hold us off 1-0 (with a single goal by Stephan El Shaarawy). So, even though we had somewhat righted the ship with the Sampdoria win, the loss against Roma brought us back to earth. A difficult start indeed, but with the
Coppa Italia beckoning, there was no time to wallow.
Fortunately, the
Coppa would bring in a different air, facing Empoli, and we were able to come away with a positive result,
holding them off 3-2 in the aggregate score over two matches! (A 1-2 victory in their stadium, and a 1-1 draw in Stadio Torino). There were two interesting aspects about this tie: In the first away match,
Comizzo decided to field mostly a second team, perhaps sensing that the starters were a bit gassed after the brutal start of the season, and both goals were scored by bench players (
Elia and Zaza). This was a solid performance which showed an iron will.. The second match, with the starters rested, featured a classic connection between
Modric and
Zapata, as
Luka threaded a perfect pass for the
Colombian to finish with strength in the box. We played a bit more defensively, but were able to hold them off for the 1-1 tie,
winning the aggregate (3-2). On to the next round, and perhaps more importantly, this was a consolidation of the team as we headed back to the
league.
Fixture 7 featured another stiff test in the
unforgiving Serie A schedule:
Toro travelled to San Siro
once again, but this time to face Milan! Even though
Comizzo had been fuming when the schedule was released, he saw this tough fixture as a challenge, and indeed, it would prove to be one where we rose to the occassion, as we were able to pull off another brave display of football and draw 2-2!
This result gave us alot of spirit, as it proved that our early season success against Inter had been no fluke, especially given the fact that we were down by one goal and were able to come back to salvage the tie. This was a confidence boost that we needed as we headed over to our next match, fixture 8 against Cagliari. And finally, after several matches of up-and-down results,
The Bull finally awakened! We gave Cagliari a
Footballing Lesson, with two goals by recently acquired Romanian international
Valentin Mihaila,
Zapata, and
Elia! (The goal by
Zapata was an absolute beauty, one of the goals of the season, scoring on a perfectly timed bicycle kick from a
Mihaila cross). Interestingly, after this match, the press started to turn and started believing a bit more in
Comizzo's vision: They called it: "
Il Risveglio del Toro", the awakening of the Bull, as this impressive result
moved us up to #11 in the rankings, solidly midtable and in good position to attack the top half of the table. Moving on, Fixture 9 was a rather fraught 1-1 draw against Fiorentina, as we came back from a 0-1 deficit to equalize via a
Zapata goal in minute in minute 73 and kept attacking but weren't able to walk away with the 3 points.Yet we would answer in Fixture 10, a 1-0 affair against a surprisingly tough Hellas Verona defense, who we nonetheless were able to break down due to a bookshelf score by
Mihaila on minute 45, coupled with a great performance between the posts by our goalkeeper and
Mihaila's compatriot,
Ionut Radu, recently transferred from Parma! The emergence of these
two Romanians, Mihaila and Radu, was proving to be decisive in
Toro's season, as
Mihaila, especially, was growing at an exponential rate on the wing, competing with
Justin Kluivert for the starting Left Winger position, and
Radu alternating with
Berisha as goalkeeper was proving to be an effective combination. 10 matches down in the season, and we stood with a record of
3-4-3 and solidly in 10th place, a good recovery after a rather discouraging start of the campaign.
Ángel Comizzo: "So this is enough to change your opinion? Hahah.. All you guys needed was a few wins and a
Coppa Italia result and now you are seeing the rewards of my vision. I would like to remind you:
This schedule was insane. We faced Juventus, Inter, Roma, and Milan already.
Keep that in mind when evaluating where we are standing so far."
These declarations, despite being combative, weren't able to hide an undeniable truth:
Comizzo was truly enjoying himself in
Serie A. Yet the next 5 matches were a bit of a mixed bag for
Toro, as the season started to mature and players started to get settled in after the transfer window had closed. Fixture 11 was a reversal of fortunes from our good run of form, as Ciro Immobile and his Lazio went to visit us at
Stadio Olimpico Torino. This was a mismatch from the get-go, as
King Ciro scored not 1, or 2, or 3, but 4 goals in a 1-4 drubbing as we had absolutely no answers for him. Absolutely none! This humbling result (albeit against one of the league's top teams, as this victory left Lazio second place in the entire
Calcio) did not take an air of a more permanent defeat, however, as we bounced back in Fixture 12 against Venezia, racking up one of the most impressive displays of the season as
Zapata scored a hat-trick (in a variety of ways, using both fantastic power in his first two shots and finesse in his third) while
Mihaila scored once for yet another carnival, a 2-4 win in Venice! What was most impressive about this result though, beyond the goalscoring festival, was the ability to bounce back after the disappointing result against the Roman side.. All of this, and
Duván was emerging as
one of the league's top scorers!
Duván Zapata: "It took me a while to get going, but I think I have settled in. I am so glad to bring the ball back home, a precious souvenir that I will cherish all my life.. But more importantly,
we are coming together as a team. Playing with
Luka has been an absolute joy, and I think we are finally finding our footing".
Fixture 13 featured a prime matchup of North Italian contenders, as we visited "the Goddess" Atalanta and their passionate fanbase. in Bergamo. We were able to rescue a point, 1-1, with
Mihaila equalizing with a beautiful run from the wing. His play had been a very pleasant surprise for
Il Granata, as in each passing game,
Comizzo seemed to be depositing more and more faith in the
Romanian Winger's abilities. In Fixture 14, though, we weren't able to follow through, as we hosted Sassuolo but lost a tense and ultimately frustrating 2-3 encounter, in which defensive mistakes were key (a fumble by the keeper, and other errors in the back 4 which ended up costing us). Yet, in what was becoming a bit of a trademark for
Comizzo's Torino, once again we bounced back in the next matchday at our stadium, as we beat Salernitana 3-1 in a match where
Modric had an absolutely wonderful game, setting up one of
Mihaila's two goals and connecting once more with
Zapata, displaying marvellous vision in both plays with his golden right foot..
This was perhaps Luka's best game of the season, and perhaps more importantly, he was smiling and embracing his teammates. It was absolutely evident that he was happy playing football again.
Luka Modric: "This has been a new beginning for me. I am playing with space, with freedom, I am understanding myself really well with my teammates, and
Manager Comizzo is giving me the vote of confidence to express myself.. hopefully the results will keep coming, but
I am playing with true happiness, even when shouldering this huge responsiblity".
As the
halfway point of the season approached,
Comizzo was determined to finish it strong. We would travel to the South of Italy in a much expected matchup against Napoli, but ran up against a brilliant performance by Victor Osimhen, as the Nigerian scored a brace to hold us off 2-1 amidst the loud Neapolitan crowd. Travelling to Bologna next though, we would bounce back in
classic Comizzo style and played what was undoubtedly one of the matches of the season: It was a back-and-forth affair, with both squads exchanging goals tit-for-tat (
Aitor Rubial and fan favorite
Francisco Cassata, one of the holdovers from last season, scored both of
Toro's goals, while countered by Barrow and Orsolini on the side of Bologna). Fighting for momentum,
Luka almost scored on a majestically placed free kick which hit the bar on minute 76.. and with only five minutes left to go in the game,
Zapata received a perfectly placed cross from
Gagliolo, he heads it in, and it's the winning goal by our charismatic
Colombian giant!! As the match drew to a close, Bologna had outshot us 13 to 7, but we made our chances count and as the final whistle blew, the score was Bologna 2-3 Torino! A tense, exciting, high scoring matchday which brought forth a lot of emotion, and perhaps even more relevant,
launched us all the way to 8th place, the first time we were this high up in the standings all season, a great result which moved us up the rankings and
placed us firmly in the top half ot the table for the first time..
But the unpredictable Italian tides would turn yet again: We weren't able to maintain the momentum in fixtures 18, and 19, as they were both 1-1 results against Empoli (at home), and against Genoa (away). The Empoli game was particularly disappointing, as in the words of
astute Calcio expert @Madmac79, "Empoli proved to be way more dangerous than its players would suggest..", as the Empoli goalkeeper Ukjani had a miraculous save on a close shot by
Duván in minute 91 that would've won it for Toro! An unfortunate turn of events that was, however, sprinkled by a had a bit of luck though, as despite these two draws, at the halfway point of the season,
we were holding on to a surprising 8th place, tied with 25 points with 7th place Roma, and one point ahead of 9th-11th placed Sassuolo, Bologna, and Cagliari.. At
6 wins, 7 draws, and 6 losses and having faced all
Serie A teams once,
Comizzo's experiment was proving to be one that belonged in the midst of the Italian top flight.
Ángel Comizzo: "I don't want to talk about
international cups just yet. It would be getting ahead of ourselves. We are just taking it one match at a time. But I will say this.. We had a set of objectives laid out before the season, and very few of you guys believed we could achieve them. But here we are,
6-7-6, in the midpoint of the season, and standing in
8th place. If any of you truly believed this at the start of the season, I will buy you a lavish Piemonte-style dinner, a Castelmagno with Piemontese Beef and Taglioni. Seriously. But first we have to prepare ourselves for the second half of the season."
Expectations were high as the second half of the season started, but Fixture 20, in which we hosted Juventus in the second part of the
Derby della Molle, was perhaps the
most frustrating match of the entire campaign. Most of the first half was really tight, as
Comizzo decided to play more defensively (a tactic he had been using with some success against stronger teams), and his strong defense, along with some great goalkeeping by
Radu, kept Juventus scoreless until minute 44.. when a furious scramble in the box resulted in a Cristiano Ronaldo tip-in to give Juventus a 0-1 lead. But we didn't give up.
Modric especially was playing beautifully in the second half, creating spaces and weaving his way through the Juve defense. A magical 4 minute stretch occurred when, in minute 71, when
Zapata equalized off a pass by
Mihaila, wrong-footing Sczesny and putting the goal in for the 1-1 score, and then, in minute 75, Zapata heads another cross by
Mihaila, Szcesny keeps it, the rebound.. And It's
Zapata again!! It's 2-1
Torino, as the home crowd goes absolutely berserk in a passionate
Granata roar.. Would this finally be the momentus occasion when we beat Juventus? The match kept going and the clock kept ticking,
Radu saving a couple of great Juve attempts, until..
In the last play of the game, CR7 was fouled just outside the box..
And scores the winning Free Kick, freezing
Radu on the spot!! (minute 90+3).. and the final score is
Torino 2-2 Juventus!! Nothing
Toro could've done about that, it was just one of the
greatest players of all time doing what he does and coming through in the defining moments.
A heartbreaking result for
Toro, as we were just minutes away from a historic victory against our most heated rival, one that had dominated us historically. A valuable point that in a way, felt like a defeat because we knew that we could've got the 3 points!!
Comizzo just shrugged and shook his head, but refused to wallow in this result. Just CR7 being CR7, he thought. We would be back.
There was no time to wallow in this result however. The unforgiving
Calcio schedule wouldn't have allowed it!
The Third Round of Coppa Italia beckoned, as we faced Fiorentina, and although we played valiantly in the first leg at Stadio Artemio Franchi, a brilliant Strike by Argentinian Nico González was enough to give the game to Fiore, a 1-0 result. But back in
Stadio Olimpico Torino, Duván Zapata would shine brilliantly, single-handedly destroying Fiorentina with a
historic performance,
one of the best in recent Coppa Italia history,
scoring a hat-trick (two with his head, and a signature powerful strike to the top right hand corner) to complete the comeback for a
global score of 3-1 (and his second hat trick of the year!) and a passage to the
Coppa Italia quarterfinals, where once again, our famous crosstown rivals, Juventus, awaited us. But that would come later.
Zapata was absolutely on fire at the moment, and it was time to revel in his performance!!
Duván Zapata: "I am getting into my groove, for sure! But this wouldn't be possible without the help of my teammates and
Manager Comizzo. All credit to them, they are setting me up for finishing. I'd like to remind you guys that a striker can't do everything by himself. He needs the support of his teammates and good passes to feed his chances. This is what I'm receiving from this system of player..
This is not my accomplishment, this is the entire team's, and I'm just happy that we are through to the next round of the
Coppa Italia"
Ángel Comizzo: "That's just
Duván being Duván, humble and deferring praise, and all credit to him. But I am here to say this:
Duván is the second best striker in the country, only behind Cristiano.
He has surpassed Zlatan, he has surpassed Lautaro and Alexis, he has surpassed Immobile. Yes, I am not afraid to say this. He has been absolutely magnificent, and he is striking fear into our opponents' defenses. Watch out,
The Colombian is coming."
Zapata just shook his head and and flashed an enigmatic smile. Was this humility or recogntion?
These were bold words by Comizzo, but now it was time to go back to the league. We would go on a very good streak in our next 4 matchdays, starting with Fixture 21, as we hosted Inter Milan. In this match, facing once again the
South American tandem of Lautaro Martínez and Alexis Sánchez (who
Comizzo had signaled in the previous presser and were more than eager to prove him wrong, feeling quite snubbed),
Comizzo would prove them right, however, at least for tonight, as
Toro would prevail with a solitary penalty kick goal in the first half of the match, scored by
Mandragora. But what was most impressive about this win was how we did it, as we completely withstood the Inter onslaught in the second half and changed our formation accordingly, from our usual 4-2-3-1 to a much more defensive 4-5-1, lowering our lines and compacting our defense. This had been a staple of
Comizzo's tactics in his
South American years, that whenever his teams got a lead against stronger squads, the team would compact their lines and defend, which we did brilliantly against the #2 ranked team in all of
Serie A! This much impressive 1-0 win (holding Lautaro and Alexis scoreless)
maintained our #8 position in the league. And we kept it going, as we went on our first winning streak of the season by beating Udinese in Stadio Friuli (a great win and a brace for
Zapata-off asissts by
Mihaila and
Modric who was only trailing CR7 in the total goal tally!).
This result moved us up to
#7 in the standings, as
Duván mantained his torrid pace.. Undoubtedly motivated by
Comizzo's declaration of him being the second best striker in the league. We were in very good standing now,
having won 4 out of a possible 6 points against Juve and Inter, and looked to continue our form. In the nextmatch, we were able to salvage a 1-1 draw against Spezia at their grounds (
Modric scoring a tenacious goal, outthinking and outmaneuvering several defenders in the way), perhaps somewhat of a missed opportunity against a lower table team, but one that we would seize in the following encounter: the second fixture of our road trip was a 1-2 win against Sampdoria (who we had beat convincingly the first time around), as we prevailed with goals by our starting Right Back
Raoul Bellanova, scoring from way out in what was one of the goals of the season, and our
Romanian upstart, Valentin Mihaila.. We were riding high at this point, a huge turnaround after the Juventus dissappointment. This streak of good results, 3 wins and a draw,
kept us in seventh place, well ahead of
Comizzo's expectations at this point of the season!
The next 3 matches before the
Coppa Italia semifinals would bring interesting yet inconsistent results, though. First, we hosted Roma in fixture 25, but were thoroughly outplayed by I Giallorossi, as they beat us 1-4 featuring a hat-trick by Tamaraebi Abraham and a complementary goal by Carles Pérez.. Even though
Zapata scored a nice diving header in this match, it was small consolation in one of our most lopsided losses of the season. Yet, in
true Torino fashion, we would definitely bounce back in our next match, when we hosted AC Milan in our grounds, showing a lot of grit and determination and playing a tactically brilliant match against the Rossoneri, led by none other than the legendary
Zlatan, who had also been mentioned by
Comizzo and had a few declarations before the match..
Zlatan Ibrahimovic: "No disrespect to
Zapata, or to
Comizzo, or even to Cristiano. But I consider myself the best player of all time. My skills speak for themselves, my style cannot be imitated. All of them are great players, but I am the best of all time, and I shall prove it against
Comizzo's squad. I will make him eat his words."
Angel Comizzo: "
Every player thinks at some point that they are the greatest of all time. Usually they stop believing that when they reach the age of 10. I guess Zlatan never grew up, he acts all tough and hardcore, but inside it seems like he never matured. His time has past, a very good player in the past, yes, but no longer the 2nd best striker in our league..
Maybe the 4th after King Ciro."
Ahh! Fighting and controversial words from both outsized personalities! But a game still had to be played, Milan looking to consolidate its
Champions League spot and Torino fighting for
Europa! As the game started, it was a tactical battle, far away from the showdown that most fans and the media were expecting.. Comizzo laid out his defensive 4-5-1 in hopes of luring Milan into counterattacking vulnerabilities, but the first half went by without much happening, both Zlatan and
Duván being neutralized by each other's defenses. Milan scored first in the second half on a 59 minute goal by Samu Castillejo to give them a 0-1 lead, but we were able to come back, as
Comizzo replaced a very tired
Duván and
Modric with
Kevin Lasagna and
Orsolini (who had been recently purchased in the transfer window). The substitutions paid almost immediate dividends, as we clawed our way back with a goal by
Lasagna after a perfect through pass by
Marco Benassi, and then, with only 2 minutes left in regulation,
Mihaila (who was once again proving his worth) performed a pinpoint cross to little-used
Salvatore Elia for the header and the dramatic winner! (Our goalkeeper,
Berisha, who had been splitting GK duties with
Radu all throughout the season also had some really nice saves against Zlatan in the second half). Final score,
Torino 2-1, we had beaten Zlatan's Milan, recuperating very well after the loss against Roma!
Comizzo's tactical changes performed really well in this match, and perhaps some mental games too, as the whole spat with Zlatan served to rattle him a bit, take the Swedish-Montenegrin legend off his game and mess a little bit with his ego.
Brilliant tactics by Comizzo.
After a somewhat disappointing result against Cagliari in Fixture 27 (inconsistency rearing its head once again after the epic Milan win), it was time for the
Coppa Italia quarterfinals against La Vecchia Signora, and the Turin newspaperswere alight with expectation. Despite our lack of recent consistency, we had outperformed expectations, and the last match against Juve, in which we were one minute away from victory (until CR7's Free Kick) had the
local newspapers wondering if perhaps we could pull off the upset. But it wasn't meant to be. Juventus was completely on fire, as they dominated us 2-5 in the first match and 3-0 in the second, flexing their firepower with several goals by Ronaldo, Bernardeschi, and Vlahovic, among other players. The
Coppa Italia + Juventus combination proved to be a mountain which was too high to climb, for now, but
Comizzo, after the second leg, gathered the players together and expressed that he was proud of them, that, despite the lopsided defeat (global score 2-8),
these were valuable experience points and that reaching the
Coppa Italia quarters was a worthwhile achievement for the team.
Yes, it was a tough and lopsided loss, but without struggle, there could be no story, there could be no triumph. And moreso, for every defeat, there is a silver lining, a quite significant one in this case: It was now time to focus back on
Serie A, and who would've thought that with
only 11 matches to go, we would be fighting to enter
Europa League? This was quite unprecedented in
Toro's recent history. There was still a ways to go, but there was definitely reason for expectation.
Luka Modric: "We just went up against one of the best teams in the world. What is important in these moments is to keep our cool, and understand that we are part of a process, and that we are much further ahead than what we imagined. Yes, it was a painful result, defeats always hurt, but moreso than dwelling on it,
now we have to focus on the league and our next objective. Among such big personalities like
Manager Comizzo and
Duván, I think I am here to maintain a bit of a cool head. Yes, I feel things as intensely as them, but sometimes
you have to let wisdom give you a better sense of perspective".
We showed a lot of determination in our next 5 games, starting with Fixture 28. After the disappointment of the
Coppa Italia exit, it was time to recharge our batteries and so we did, with a very convincing 2-0 victory (with goals, once again by
Kevin Lasagna and
Elia) against Fiorentina with the whole stadium behind us.. The veteran
Lasagna, in particular was proving to be a very useful addition to our team, backing up
Zapata and coming in late in matches to score decisive goals, filling in admirably for
Duván and creating a contrast of play that was confusing defenders. While the
Colombian has the physique of a giant, strong, powerful, and good in the air and with a rocket strike,
Lasagna still has a lot of speed in his legs, and was playing incisively and with a great eye for scoring, often outrunning the defenders and finding great spaces for his goals. This was a solid win against Fiore. Yet once again, we would struggle a bit to maintain consistency, as our next opponent Hellas Verona, unfortunately beat us 2-1 in their stadium (a worthwhile opponent Hellas, taking advantages of a few lapses in our defense even though we outplayed them), and
somewhat halted our momentum..
Yet an epic encounter would await us in Fixture 30: We would go back to Rome, but this time, to face
King Ciro and Lazio in our second meeting of the season (yes, Immobile,
who scored a Poker last time we met I Biancocelesti, 4 goals!), and with
Modric battling a cold, we would be without the services of the
Croatian Magician. This time, however,
things would be different, as we were able to contain Ciro to 1 goal and were able to come away with the 1-2 victory in Stadio Olimpico Roma, a decisive feat considering the way that Immobile had dominated us in our first encounter.
Lasagna came up HUGE in this game (true to his current form), as he once again came through in the second half, scoring two decisive goals to seal the win!
A golden three points for us. Immobile had not played into
Comizzo's mind games, but even so, containing King Ciro was a
huge defensive success. As the season continued, we followed through with a 1-1 draw against direct rivals Venezia, and in Fixture 32, went back to our winning ways, beating Atalanta 1-0 in yet another valuable victory.
Duván scored early in the match, on minute 6 from a
Justin Kluivert cross (a truly impressive strike, his second bicycle kick goal of the season!), breaking a short spell where he hadn't scored, and we were able to hold on against his former team by using
Catenaccio tactics, Comizzo-style limiting Atalanta to only 5 shots the entire game and shutting down their offense in, once again, an intelligent display of
Comizzo's defensive managerial abilities! This result meant that
the race for Europa League was on with only
6 matches left to go in the season, as we were
sitting solidly in 7th place now, 3 points ahead of 8th place Cagliari and 5 points behind Napoli! Yet, the unpredictability of the
Calcio would make an appearance in the
closing 6 matches of the season, an epic race which would feature a
rollercoaster of emotions.
Dark clouds were looming ahead: Fixture 33 against Sassuolo and 34 against Salernitana were
highly disappointing results, given the fact that they were both lower table teams at the time. Against Sassuolo, we weren't able to come back from a two goal deficit, despite a late goal by
Zapata, and in fixture 34, Salernitana played a truly inspired match against us, which was particularly surprising given the fact that they were in last place and in real danger of being relegated. But we ran into a wall, a true Salernitana wall and no matter what we tried, we weren't able to score against a team full of pride and who played far beyond their current form, as we surrendered a 2-0 result in their grounds. Even though we had our chances,
we were not able to break down Salernitana's defense. And things wouldn't look better in our next game against Napoli, back in
Stadio Olimpico Torino. After an early goal by Zambo Anguissa off a corner, Napoli dug us into an 0-2 hole after a perfectly placed free kick by Lorenzo Insigne in minute 24.. Things were looking dire, yet we were able to equalize with goals by
Lasagna and an incisive run by
Mihaila, making it 2-2 after the first 45 minutes.. Back and forth it went in the second half, as Napoli scored with a Mertens finish to make it 2-3. Showing a lot of resolve, we managed to equalize yet again with another goal by our
Romanian winger (who is fast becoming a star), before Zielinski's header beat
Radu to make it 3-4 Napoli with only minutes to go in the match.. It was indeed, a spectacular game, one that could've been one of our most memorable if it had gone our way, but alas, it was not meant to be. As the final whistle blew and the the players fell to the ground on the Napoli grass, completely exhausted,
it was quite evident that we had reached a low point, with 3 straight defeats (two against quite beatable opponents)
with only 3 matches left to go. Amazingly though, despite having
rescued 0 points out of a possible 9,
we had only dropped to 8th place, with only Roma's goal differential separating us from 7th, and with our own goal differential separating us from 9th place Bologna (all three teams had 49 points), and with Cagliari in tenth place, 3 points behind us. A race which once looked in favor of us, was now hanging in the balance.
This was a bad moment to go on a slump.
Ángel Comizzo: "The mark of great teams is that
they're supposed to win the games they're supposed to win. We haven't reached that point yet. Sassuolo and Salernitana were games that were CLEARLY winnable for us, yet we ended up losing them, and Napoli.. well, I guess that game was up in the air, and we gave a great effort, football will be football, that's just the way it goes.
But we had no business losing those first two games, and now we will have to scramble to reach our next objective. Yes, I didn't want to mention it before, but our second half objective wasn't just to attack the top half of the table, but it morphed into
qualifying for Europa League. I think that this season, regardless of what happens in the last 3 matches, has been a success. Europa would be incredible, but we're going to have to turn the ship around and go for it with all of our might. No room for any vulnerability or doubt. Next match against Bologna will be like a final for us, and
I know we will show a lot of resolve."
As
Comizzo had mentioned, none other than Bologna would visit us in Fixture 36.
As a direct rival for Europa, this was truly a high-stakes matchup in
Stadio Olimpico Torino, and the fans knew it.
It indeed felt like a final. Filling the stadium to the brim, the fans knew that this match could go a long way towards determining the
last, coveted European spot. The atmosphere was intense, and as the opening whistle blew, both teams exchanged missed shots in the early going. The match was being played at fever intensity as both teams felt the weight and importance of the occassion. Mattias Svanberg scored first for Bologna after a scramble in the box and an error by
Radu opened up a chance for the Swede. We were down 0-1..
Was it possible that our Europe aspirations were fading away? Things seemed to be hanging by a slim thread.....
But fortune favours the brave. We kept insisting. A
Zapata shot just sailed wide.
Orsolini's attempt just saved by the Bologna keeper. As the match wound on, we kept pushing and pushing until, finally, in minute 57,
Luka Modric placed a perfect corner kick to
Mandragora, who finally headed it in for the score!! It's 1-1, and our hard work had paid off! We were tied, yet we would keep going. On minute 79,
Duván received a
Kluivert ball which threaded the needle between several Bologna defenders.. And the
Colombian Giant scores with a trademark power shot that almost broke the net!!!!!! It's
2-1 Torino,
and we are able to hold on for the most important 3 points of the season!! As the players embraced in the middle of the field,
Comizzo rushed towards them, running intensely in an outpour of emotion that was perhaps more of relief than of celebration!! This was a momentous win that saw us recover the
7th place in the standings, as we had beaten our direct rivals, and Sampdoria had beaten Roma in their match, clearing the way for us.
With only two matches to go, we had 52 points, while Roma and Bologna were both at 49. A huge victory!! Yet we knew that we had to keep going, there were two more matches left go go and the job wasn't complete. We had to try and create some separation and
ensure qualification to the Europa League! Our next game would prove decisive in the pursuit of this goal: Fixture 38 visiting Empoli featured a
masterful overall performance by Toro, as
Orsolini dispossesed the opposing keeper for a goal on minute 18, and
Duván scored 2 goals in the second half (a header, and a masterful shot, bodying up 4 Empoli defenders and using his strength to power through an angled score) to secure a dominant and confident 0-3 victory and
another three points closer to our Europa dreams! Although Roma kept pace though, winning their respective match, and Cagliari drew their game against Spezia, with only one match left to go in the season,
we had the definite advantage: Sitting at 55 and Roma at 52. Only a
major collapse in our last match and a Roma win would prevent us from going to the
Europa League now.
But
The Bull would not be denied. Not this time. As the final fixture approached against Genoa, we knew that a tie would ensure us qualification.. Regardless of the Roma result. Would
Comizzo play conservatively at home, employing some of his
previous tactics against larger teams? Would he choose mind over flair? Perhaps that would've been the wisest choice, given the circumstances. But no.
Comizzo, true to his personality, would go all out and play offensively, going for the win, and the result was a match for the ages, one that would live on in
Torino's rich footballing lore. An 8 minute run by
Orsolini, it's a
Toro Goal! Minute 26,
Zapata finds
Justin Kluivert with a through ball, and it's 2-0! The
Granata fans, who had come out in full force for every single home match, but especially this one, had the distinct feeling that we were about to make history as the first half ended.. Genoa got one back in minute 62 (courtesy of Destro), but destiny was on our side tonight. Noting would deny us. Minute 75:
Here comes Modric! A beautiful counter attack with a wide open field, finding the space between the Genovese defenders, will he score? With a last-second movement, he unselfishly passes it to
Duván and it's a goal!! 3-1
Torino. Only 3 minutes later, it's
Modric again gliding down the field, gracefully, beautifully, finding
Orsolini who charges forward, shoots and scores!! 4-1. Minute 82,
Modric, amazingly again, laser guides an indirect free kick straight to
Zapata's head, and it's another
Luka-
Duván connection!! 5-1!! What a festival!!
It's 3 asissts for Luka in 7 minutes! Absolutely magical stretch for our
Croatian Magician.... but he wasn't finished:
IN LITERALLY THE LAST PLAY OF THE SEASON, minute 90+4,
Bellanova dispossesses Genoa, passes it to
Orsolini who plays a through ball to a streaking
Duván on the left wing, the
Colombian being chased by several defenders, reaching the box, juking the defenders and finding
LUKA MODRIC FOR THE GOAL!!!!!!!!!! It's
Luka's night, it's
Torino's night!! The whistle blows, and it's a historic, magical, unforgettable occasion, a moveable feast for
Torino, as we close out the season with a
6-1 victory over Genoa,
ensuring qualification to next year's Europa League, and exceeding all expectations placed on
Comizzo by
Millossobek's Football Enterprises!!
What a season. What a joyful, amazing ride it was for
Ángel Comizzo and his squad.. As the final whistle blew, as the players went around the pitch celebrating and saluting the effervescent and joyful
Torino crowd who chanted "
Toooorooooo Tooooooroooo", there was a sudden realization, by the manager, by the players, by the fans, by the media and by everyone watching, that this had been a
historic season and a beautiful story.
Millossobek's Football Enterprises had gambled with
Comizzo, and the gamble had paid off beautifully, exceeding all expectations and creating a season for the ages that would surely be remembered in the annals of Italian lore.
Going from 17th to 7th in only one year, from
near relegation to
ensuring qualification to Europe, beating the likes of Milan and Inter, and giving the
Granata fans a reason for real hope, was more than anybody ever dared to dream. If nothing else,
Ángel Comizzo had proven himself in Europe. While sitting in that dark Buenos Aires Cafe less than a year ago, he engendered a vision in his mind, a vision that would turn into a reality. While glancing at the pictures of the beautiful city of
Torino, its classical architecture, the Bull as the emblem of the team, he had a definite feeling that comes about only a few times in a person's life: that he would come to this mystical city and draw from both light and dark forces, myths, spirits that refuse to be forgotten, remembrances and legends, and
he would create history. Little did the fans know that they would be witnesses to
Luka Modric's reinvention, his joy for the game revealed once again, his spirit restored,
an artist making his art on the pitch with every passing stroke, every pass and every run recreating the beauty of classical Italian paintings. They couldn't guess that
Duván Zapata would finish the season with
23 goals, second in the league, and that he would delight them with
his power, his goalscoring skills, and his endless charisma, becoming the second most prolific striker in the league and a force to be reckoned with,
embodying the spirit of the Bull. Nobody could envision that the team could come together like this under this
mercurial, mysterious Argentinean manager and create this magical season, drawing power from their tradition and looking at the future with hope, with love, with a
Granata heart that once again had found its identity. Nobody could have expected this,
except for Angel Comizzo.
Duván Zapata: "I had happy years in Atalanta, and in all of the other teams I have played for in the
Calcio. But I can honestly say that
I have never been happier playing football. I want you guys to picture something: Can you imagine having
Luka Modric as your leader, threading passes for you to finish? It's an amazing feeling, and I feel really privileged.. But I would also like to commend my teammates: The entire team rose up to the challenge as well.
Mihalia, Radu, Madragora, Orsolini, Kluivert, everyone. Now what I want to do is embrace this team, all of them, wrap my arms around them, and help them continue on this beautiful journey, the challenge of our second season. I cannot wait!!"
Luka Modric: "After spending four years in North London, coming to
Torino was like coming back home. Yes, this is what this season felt like for me. An indescribable feeling of home.
I felt like a kid again, feeling the cool of the grass under my feet, putting my cleats back on and
listening to the roar of the Granata faithful, playing freely, being myself, finding my leadership, and captaining our
dear Toro. This was a huge responsibility, but it never felt like one.
It felt like playing the game that I love, it felt like doing what I am inside, what my heart truly is, restored, happy, free..
It felt like football, once again."
Ángel Comizzo: "I knew it all along. I knew that I would find gems in the
Torino landscape.
17th place you say? I never saw that, or even cared to entertain it. The shadow of Juventus? Yeah, huge team, but shadows can only be cast for so long, sooner or later you step out of them.
I don't measure myself against them and never will. South American tactics could never work in Europe? Well I think we all know the answer to that one by now. But I think my biggest success this season, was not on the pitch.. It was here (points to his heart), it was here (points to his head). It was outfeeling and outthinking the opposition, being silent when needed, being proud when nobody was expecting it, embracing my players and receiving power from our fans. You see, football is not just a game.
It's an emotion, a feeling, an experience."
Stay tuned to the next edition of Millossobek's Cup Stories! 
were the darkhorses, edging favorites 
(after 4 tries), an incredible night at one that will last forever in the mindsof their fans! Yet this Cup was not just about the winner, 
Stay tuned for further updates and an exciting adventure!
