Sassuolo: Enthusiasm, young talent, and a solid project led by MAPEI

Sassuolo is back in big-time Italian football. The “green-and-blacks,” owned by MAPEI, won promotion to Serie A with plenty of games to spare and was mathematically certain of being back in the top division on April 13. The team was officially crowned Serie B champions less than a month later.

The 2024-25 season was Francesco Palmieri’s first as the Sports Director after years at the helm of the youth sector. With his customary humility, Palmieri described himself as being “in the right place at the right time,” but his contribution was instrumental in the club’s return to Serie A. It was no easy ride: “We struggled from August to October, but we were prepared for that. After three months, we got into the right rhythm.”

A united club and brave decision-making

The secret behind this success? A united club with a shared vision. The owners from MAPEI, club managers and team manager Fabio Grosso have worked together with just one aim in mind. The CEO and General Manager, Giovanni Carnevali, made some brave decisions and got the results he deserved. “The goal was to get straight back in Serie A, and we achieved that,” so Palmieri noted. Veronica Squinzi, Vice-President of U.S. Sassuolo Calcio and CEO of MAPEI, stated, “We are all delighted that Sassuolo is back in Serie A: An important and well-earned achievement that rewards the great teamwork and real commitment of everyone involved. We would like to thank everybody at Sassuolo from the President to the management team, from the technical staff to the players and everybody else working at the club for getting us back in the top division where we are ready to take on fresh sporting challenges together with our team and all its supporters.”

True teamwork

Despite playing in Serie B, many Sassuolo players were already being sought after by Serie A clubs. Laurienté ended the season with 18 goals, winning the title of top scorer and MVP (Most Valuable Player) of the league, but Pierini and Berardi also stood out. The captain managed to recover after his injury at the start of the season. “However, I would like to give credit to the whole team, which managed to achieve an important result,” Palmieri explained. The young players from the youth academy, such as Lipani and Volpato, also deserve a pat on the back for the key part they played in getting promotion.

Sassuolo fans turned out in increasingly big numbers throughout the season, even for away matches. “It’s not easy for a city with a population of 41,000 with other famous clubs nearby, but things are improving,” Palmieri said.

Looking to the future

The next challenge will be to keep hold of Sassuolo’s most sought-after players and approach the team’s 12th season in the Italian Serie A with the right mentality. “We must not dwell on the past, even though it is just behind us and was so fantastic. The aim for the 2025-26 season is to stay in the top flight. And let’s not forget the youth sector, which is the real heart-and-soul of the club,” Palmieri concluded.

Women’s football is on the up at Sassuolo

Women’s football at Sassuolo is going through a boom period. Thanks to solid foundations and a carefully focused project, Sassuolo is establishing itself as one of the most dynamic and ambitious clubs on the national scene, investing with great conviction in developing the women’s sector and getting better and better results year after year. “We got some great results in our eighth season in the Italian Serie A,” noted Alessandro Terzi, Head of the Women’s Sector. The women’s team comfortably avoided relegation this year, while the youth team made it all the way to the semifinals of the playoffs. But the first and youth teams are just the tip of the iceberg. “We have a total of 12 women’s teams,” Terzi proudly pointed out. “We start with 5-year-old girls and go all the way up to the professionals.” The numbers are impressive: 300 female players supported by 60 staff including managers, assistants and other personnel. “We have the best grassroots structure of all the clubs in the women’s Serie A. The numbers speak for themselves,” Terzi went on to note.

The Sassuolo women’s team has already won a Serie B title that got MAPEI into the top division. The girls play their home matches at Ricci Stadium in Sassuolo and, just like the men’s team, train at MAPEI Football Centre on a grounds named after Adriana Spazzoli, the MAPEI Group’s former Corporate Marketing & Communication Director.

The social commitment is constant: The women players recently took part in the Generation S convention held at Carani Theatre in Sassuolo and were also involved in initiatives for the Institute for the Blind. “The Sassuolo community greatly appreciates our social engagement,” Terzi concluded.

FABIO GROSSO, Team Manager of Sassuolo

Respect, humility, and ambition: How we got back into the Italian Serie A

Q: Sassuolo won promotion to Serie A with five matches to spare, dominating the Italian second division championship. What were the key factors that enabled Sassuolo to do so well?

A: Being part of a solid and ambitious company certainly put us in the right place to achieve this goal. Over time, we have been good at creating a group of quality players who have all fitted in perfectly.

What are your expectations and main strategies for next season in the top league?

A: The Serie A is a different level, and we will be playing against well-organized teams, so we will have to be fully prepared with a team that is up to the task. Obviously, our main goal will be to stay in the division we got promoted to this year thanks to all our great work.

How has the close relationship between Sassuolo and the owners at MAPEI contributed to the team’s success?

A: Being able to work in a friendly, relatively stress-free environment and the commitment and loyalty characterizing our relationships are the foundations on which we have built this success and achieved our goal. As I often say, I am part of a well-managed, ambitious club and MAPEI’s support fuels our desire to do well. We were determined to get Sassuolo back in Serie A.

You went from being a successful footballer to a career in managing teams. What values and lessons from your career as a player do you bring to your day-to-day work as a team manager?

A: I think respect, humility, healthy ambition and motivation are traits I have always had and try to bring to my day-to-day work. Of course, you also must work hard and persevere; nothing happens by chance.