2015/2016 - A step away from the dream

The 2015-2016 season started again under the sign of Nenad Bjelica, confirmed at the helm of the Aquile after the excellent previous season and together with the Croatian coach, many protagonists of the previous season remained in the team, from the top scorer Andrea Catellani to the expert Nenè, from the Argentineans Chichizola and Valentini to the Croatians Brezovec, Milos, Situm and Canadjija, while Igor Budan, was promoted to lead the technical area. In a group already tested, the retreat of Santa Cristina Valgardena also saw the arrivals of Sergio Postigo, Ivan Martic, Karim Rossi, and Marijan Coric, followed by those of Claudio Terzi, Krisztian Tamas, Simon Sluga, Josip Misic, Paulo Azzi, Jon Errasti and of the "Arciere" Emanuele Calaiò, delivering to Nenad Bjelica a formation of substance that since the first matches collected consents and results, eliminating in the first two Tim Cup rounds both Brescia and Frosinone.

However, despite the premise, the debut in the league wasn’t good: Spezia fell at the "San Nicola" of Bari at the end of a game closed on 4-3 for the hosts, and also the second match of the regular season didn’t bring the three points, due to Pro Vercelli that at the "Picco" blocked the Aquilotti. The first success arrived in the third round, with the men of Nenad Bjelica imposing themselves on the field of Salernitana, obtaining the first of three consecutive victories that brought the Aquile towards the top of the standings, such that at the end of the seventh day Terzi and his teammates occupied the second position together with Crotone and two points behind Cagliari.

That was how Spezia presented to the challenge of the "Manuzzi" on October 19th, 2015. But that match would be anything but memorable, with the Aquilotti that after the illusory advantage signed by Postigo, were defeated by Cesena for 5-1, a result that marked the beginning of a series of defeats that culminated in the defeat on the ground of the "Piola" of Novara on the occasion of the 14th round. It was a KO that led to the dismissal of Nenad Bjelica and his staff. In place of the Croatian coach, called by the new sporting director Pietro Fusco, arrived Domenico Di Carlo, affirmed trainer who had had important experiences in Serie A on the benches of Parma, Chievo Verona, Sampdoria, Livorno, and Cesena. He brought with him the deputy Claudio Valigi, the athletic trainer Lorenzo Riela and the technical collaborator Martino Sofia.

The adventure in Spezia of the coach of Cassino began with the home challenge of November 27th  against the leader Crotone, which was able to impose itself only thanks to a penalty realized in the first half, but from the following match, the Aquile returned to score, first drawing at the home of Pescara and then getting two consecutive successes against Vicenza and Latina. The first half of the season ended with the defeat of Ascoli preceded by two draws, but the month of December also brought them success in the fourth round of Tim Cup against Salernitana, success that opened the doors of the eighth round at the home of Rudi Garcia’s Roma. On December 16th, the Aquilotti, followed by 4000 fans, descended on the pitch of the "Olimpico": it was a real feat for the men of Mimmo Di Carlo, who after having held the field with a great personality for 120 minutes, overcame the Giallorossi on penalties and thus writing a new beautiful page in the history of the Spezia club.

The January market brings in Liguria since the first day important players such as Nico Pulzetti, Antonio Piccolo, and the returning Filippo De Col, in addition to Daniele Sciaudone and David Okereke arrived in the last days, while Josip Brezovec, Mato Milos, Paulo Dentello Azzi, Karim Rossi, Marijan Coric, Miguel De Las Cuevas left. The first match of 2016 saw the draw of Spezia at the "Picco" with Bari, while in the Tim Cup quarter-final was Alessandria to beat the Aquilotti, taking advantage of the physical decline of the men of Mimmo Di Carlo, forced to deal with the hard training of the winter retreat. But the Aquile proved to be strong and determined, returning to the field with desire and obtaining an impressive series of eleven consecutive positive results that brought Terzi and his teammates again in the upper part of the ranking. On March 26th, on the occasion of the home match against Trapani, the whites returned to know the bitter taste of defeat, but already from the following round, the three points moved again the ranking, with the Aquile able to beat Cagliari and Novara. At the end of a round of return in which the Aquilotti had scored 40 of 66 points collected, the white closed in the seventh position, the only team to center for three consecutive years access to the playoff promotion.

The opponent was Cesena of Massimo Drago, that arrived in sixth place. On May 24th  Spezia made a great achievement, imposing 2 to 1 on the ground of "Manuzzi" thanks to the goal of Renzetti and the goal of the Spanish Sergio Postigo, thus gaining access to a historic semifinal playoff against the third classified of the regular season: Trapani of Serse Cosmi.

On May 28th the Aquilotti took the field in a "Picco" completely sold out and colored white, but despite a strong match, the Sicilians imposed thanks to the goal scored by Coronado, while in the return match the men of coach Cosmi gained access to the final thanks to a new success against the white, this time for 2-0, thanks to the penalty shot at the beginning of the recovery from Scozzarella and the goal of Citro. However, the many aquilotti fans in Sicily had emphasized once more the great path of the team of coach Di Carlo, a group that had been able to react to the difficulties with professionalism and determination, proving attachment to the shirt and spirit of sacrifice, characteristics that have led the white to cut a historical aim, aware that the dream was only postponed.