Two years ago, Sassuolo had never even played a Serie A game in their entire history but now they will be heading into Europe after an astonishing 6th place finish in the Italian top flight this season. It has been an incredible ride for the club who barely stayed in the league a couple of seasons ago but have stuck to the principles instilled by Eusebio Di Francesco and got amazing rewards from it. It's hard to believe that the club momentarily sacked him a couple of years ago but the supporters are certainly glad that the board came to their senses and reappointed him. He is now one of the most respected and talented young managers in Italy for his ability to blood emerging young talent and forge an incredible team spirit at this unheralded club. The season started with a shock win over Napoli on the opening day and the Neroverdi would continue to perform against the big teams throughout the season. They beat Juventus and Milan whilst also doing the double over Inter and Lazio. It was a trait they'd had in past couple of years but the question was whether they could find consistency in their displays and secure wins against the lesser teams. They managed to find that balance and four consecutive wins to end the season meant a place in Europe. It is difficult to pinpoint one player for individual praise as Sassuolo are very much a team of hungry and determined individuals all fighting together for the same cause. Domenico Berardi will be highly coveted in the summer after another fine season which further established him as one of Italy's brightest young talents. Sassuolo have been known for their attacking prowess in recent years but also leaked a lot of goals. Therefore, Francesco Acerbi deserves special praise for coming back from cancer to marshal one of the best defences in Serie A this season. However, the greatest plaudits must go the manager and he will perhaps be the most wanted man at the club with many of Italy's giants sniffing around for a new coach. Sassuolo fans will be hoping Di Francesco sticks around to complete his project.
