Arguably one of the most unpopular relegations in recent memory, Empoli went down on the final day of the season despite playing some of the best football in Serie A.
Aurelio Andreazzoli took the club up as Serie B champions and adopted a very bold attacking approach in the top flight. Although there was plenty of style, it lacked substance and drew more plaudits than points. After just 1 win from the first 11 games of the season, the manager was given his marching orders.
Beppe Iachini came in and made an incredible early impact with 3 wins and a draw from his first 4 matches in charge but that early fire soon fizzled out and just 1 win from the next 12 saw the club recall Andreazzoli. Perhaps they should have been braver and stuck to their guns with him. The veteran coach won 5 out of 10 games to go into the final day of the season with a chance of survival.
Unfortunately for Empoli, they came up against an Inter side who were also fighting to get into the Champions League and Andreazzoli's men fell just short after a typically epic battle where they gave Inter a huge scare. That last game was a microcosm of Empoli's season as they played magnificently but often ended up empty handed.
With 70 goals conceded in Serie A, only bottom club Chievo leaked more and that was what ultimately cost Empoli - despite the fact that Bartlomiej Dragowski emerged as one of the finest young goalkeepers in the league.
Many would prefer to focus on Empoli's attacking prowess and they had a host of exciting forward players that could easily make Team of the Season in Serie A. Francesco Caputo led the line admirably with 16 goals whilst Rade Krunic was orchestrator-in-chief with 7 assists. Ismael Bennacer knitted things together in the centre of the park supported by the energy of Afriyie Acquah and Hamed Junior Traore. Giovanni Di Lorenzo's dynamic performances as a raiding right wing-back have already earned him a big move to Napoli.
For all that talent, it really is a shame that Empoli had to go down and now, more big clubs will be circling to pick the bones of the rest of that squad. It will be a hard rebuilding job but Andreazzoli at least seems like the perfect man to do it - if they can keep him on board.
