The 2013/14 season was another one in which off the field problems marred the performances on the pitch for Cagliari. The seemingly endless issues with the renovation of Stadio Sant'Elia continued meaning that the club started the campaign still playing in Trieste. The managerial situation was also confusing as Ivo Pulga and Diego Lopez remained but they switched roles. Lopez was the number two last season but was clearly being groomed for the main role and he got his wish. The results were quite mixed to start. Cagliari won just one of their opening seven league games but did pick up four draws in that sequence. In fact, throughout the campaign, they managed to nick the odd point here and there without ever really looking spectacular. They did just enough to stay away from trouble. The January transfer window proved pivotal. Having managed to keep hold of their star names in the summer, a couple of big departures were sanctioned after the winter. Most notable was the sale of the midfield dynamo, Radja Nainggolan, to Roma whilst goalkeeper Michel Agazzi also departed. It led to downturn in fortunes for Lopez who was eventually sacked and replaced by Pulga, who had himself been relieved of his assistant duties a few weeks earlier. Change was nothing new at Cagliari but Pulga managed to steady the ship slightly in the weeks following his appointment, once again picking up just enough points to keep their heads above water. Similar traits of the team remained as this remains a side who are almost incapable of winning away from home. They won just once on their travels and that came in April. Their lack of a genuine goalscorer is also a huge issue as only Bologna scored fewer. However, they were reasonably solid at the back for a side in the bottom half of the table and most of that could be attributed to the form of Davide Astori. The Italian international centre-back put in some assured performances which has seen him linked to a host of bigger clubs in the summer. There are no real superstars at Cagliari but a hard working team ethic continues to keep them away from trouble. With the ongoing issues off the field involving their president Massimo Cellino, it is remarkable that this modest squad of players continued to show fight on the field. Cellino is now on the verge of selling the club to Tommaso Giulini so it will be interesting to see what direction Cagliari go in.
