The Flying Donkeys sail back into Paradise!

By: Francesco | May 25th, 2008

Everyone’s favorite success story, Chievo Verona, are back in Serie A. The small club from Verona, nicknamed the “Flying Donkeys” (Hellas Verona fans used to say that donkeys would fly before Chievo reached Serie A), secured automatic promotion today with a draw vs. Grosseto and have returned to Serie A for next season. For those of you that don’t know the story, Chievo are a small club from Verona that before 2001 were always in the lower divisions of Italian soccer (even at some points dropping down to the amateur leagues) but in 2001 achieved a historic promotion to Serie A. For an analogy, this is like Exeter or some small English club from the Conference getting promoted to the EPL. In their first season, the small club led by Gigi Del Neri were 1st place at the winter break and proved to be a real force. However at the end of the season the small club wound up finishing 5th, good enough for a UEFA Cup spot. Since then, they have held their own in Serie A, but last season they weren’t performing well and on the last day of the season lost to Catania, and were relegated for the first time in 6 years. This season in Serie B Chievo were the dominant force, led by captain Sergio Pellissier up front and manager Giuseppe Iachini (who always wears a hat). Let’s see if the Flying Donkeys will continue to fly next season, or the if the donkeys will lose their wings.

Category: Rumors & News, Serie A, Serie B

Tags: Chievo, Flying Donkeys, Rumors & News, Serie A, Serie B

« Roma win Coppa Italia for second consecutive year | Home | Azzurrini advance to final in Toulon, Mancini out at Inter?, Barzagli speaking German?, and other news from today »

Subscribe   The Offside RSS Feeds

Print

Share

Comments  

• ursus arctos |  May 25th, 2008 at 9:37 pm

  
  
  

  “Everyone’s favorites” except for the people of Verona, who still much prefer Hellas despite all of their recent travails. Rooted to the bottom of C1A for most of the season, the “real” Gialloblu still outdrew their upstart neighbors from Chievo by 2 to 1.

  And Hellas managed to save their season (and perhaps their financial viability) yesterday, thanks to a 90th minute equalizer in the second leg of their “play out” against Pro Patria.

  Posted from Italy

  

• Steven |  May 26th, 2008 at 5:31 am

  
  
  

  Fuck Chievo, long live Hellas.

  And some more fine promotion news: Salernitana are finally back in B, Perugia fucked up once again and Reggiana are also up one level, to C1.

  Posted from Australia

  

• NickyViola |  May 26th, 2008 at 9:21 pm

  
  
  

  I’m with them. To heck with Chievo. My favorite success story starts with a trip my bi former girlfriend and I took to Mexico several years ago…

  Posted from United States

  

• suiseiseki |  May 27th, 2008 at 10:32 am

  
  
  

  did albinoleffe get promotion?

  Posted from United States

  

• Francesco |  May 27th, 2008 at 1:13 pm

  
  
  

  no, but they will get a playoff spot.

  Posted from Australia

  

Comments are closed