The Berardi Appreciation Thread

[BarrileteCosmico]

I've never heard of him before, but he just scored 4 against AC Milan Scores about ever 90 minutes for Sassuolo

[RealGunner]

Always knew he would do well one day.

[Vibe]

Juve own half of dat unfortunately.

[Pip]

Juve's young Italians seem to be doing well. Gabbiadini, Immobile, and Berardi.

[Cassius]

Player Focus: Berardi's Seamless Progression to Serie A Stardom
by James Horncastle at Thursday, Nov 14 2013 17:20

It’s a long journey, Cariati Marina to Modena. Almost the length of Italy. By car, it can take you eight or nine hours. Quite the road trip. But Domenico Berardi was keen to make it. He wanted to visit his brother Francesco who was studying there at university. So off he went up north. This was in 2010. It was a trip he’d never forget.

Like many students, Francesco was involved in a five-a-side league. While Domenico was in town, he invited him to play. Only 15 at the time, the lads he came up against were bigger, stronger and older than he was, but not to worry. Berardi dominated. “Who was this kid?” That’s the question one of Francesco’s friends asked him afterwards. “He must be a professional.”

But Domenico wasn’t. Back home in Calabria, he couldn’t even find a club. Cosenza had taken a look at him and they liked what they saw. But they couldn’t afford to put him up in any digs. Luckily Francesco’s friend knew someone at nearby Sassuolo. That someone was Luciano Carlino, the head of the club’s youth system. Not too long afterwards, Berardi went for a trial. He got in.

For a time, there were some issues with his registration. He could only play friendlies. But Berardi was worth the wait. After a season with Sassuolo’s Allievi [their Under-16s], he was picked for the Primavera [their senior youth team]. “The first thing I thought when I saw him play is unprintable,” his coach Paolo Mandelli told Il Resto del Carlino. He knew Sassuolo had something special on their hands.

Brought into the first team squad by Fulvio Pea for their play-off with Sampdoria the season before last, Berardi made his debut under his successor Eusebio Di Francesco at the beginning of the 2012-13 campaign in Serie B. Cesena were the opponents. “This one’s from the Primavera, eh?” their centre-back Gianluca Comotto asked. He was incredulous.

Although Berardi didn’t score in Sassuolo’s opening day 3-0 win at the Dino Manuzzi, he’d pulled the veteran here, there and everywhere. A week later, he got his first senior goal at home to Crotone.

Berardi would finish the season as Sassuolo’s joint top scorer, an honor he shared remarkably enough with three other teammates; Emanuele Terranova, Richmond Boakye and Leandro Pavoletti who all found the back of the net 11 times each. No wonder they got promoted. It was tense, though.

Crowned winter champions and top of the table for 18 straight weeks, Sassuolo needed one win from their last four games to reach Serie A for the first time in their history. Agonisingly, they lost the derby with Modena, drew with Padova and then Virtus Lanciano - Berardi scored in that encounter. It all came down to Livorno’s visit on the final day of the regular season. Lose and their opponents would leapfrog them into the automatic promotion places. Sassuolo held their nerve and won a game in which there were three red cards and seven yellows 1-0 to claim the Cadetto.

Interest in Berardi was understandably high after his part in their success. He’d been a revelation after all. Both Manchester clubs were supposedly scouting him. There was talk of offers from Napoli and Milan. He would stay for now. While negotiating the signing of the midfielder-cum-defender Luca Marrone in a co-ownership deal Sassuolo were told by his club Juventus that they could have a 50% stake in him if they in turn got 50% of Berardi, who would be loaned back to them for this season.

That suited them just fine. An agreement was reached. Juventus, it has to be said, are doing a fine job of essentially reserving Italy’s strikers of the future. They have the same arrangement with Manolo Gabbiadini at Samp [21] and Simone Zaza [22] at Sassuolo as they do with Berardi. All are considered top prospects. But that’s a story for another time. Let’s get back to Berardi.

Called up to Italy’s Under-19s over the summer, he made a mistake in not responding to the invite. Unable to offer an explanation, he was banned from representing his country for nine months and will only be eligible for selection again in March 2014. A clamour for reconciliation would grow louder soon after this season started and is becoming even noisier.

Suspended for the first three games following the red card he received in that aforementioned game against Livorno, he didn’t appear in Serie A until after Sassuolo’s 7-0 destruction by Inter, the club he supports. At serious risk of the sack, Di Francesco changed the system from his Zdenek Zeman derived 4-3-3 to a 3-5-2, showed his players a betting slip indicating that they were 22-1 to win against next opponents Napoli, a motivational ploy, and brought Berardi back into the side. It kind of worked. They drew 1-1 and have only lost twice since.

In the meantime, Berardi has scored six in seven games. Of the Italians in Serie A only Giuseppe Rossi [10] and Alessio Cerci [7] have found the back of the net more. He is averaging a goal every 94 minutes and has a conversion rate of 32% [a stat that needed contexualising].

But Berardi is more than just a goalscorer. He can hold up play and come short. Of all the Serie A forwards to have started more than five games only Francesco Totti, Antonio Cassano, Carlos Tevez, Alessandro Matri, Rodrigo Palacio and Eder have averaged more key passes per game [1.4]. He puts himself about when out of possession too. No Serie A striker has averaged more tackles per game this season [1.5 - as many as Tevez].

“The impression you are left with when you watch him play is how natural Domenico expresses himself at every level,” Mandelli said. “Be it at youth level, in Serie B or in Serie A, Berardi always plays like this.” There’s a self-assurance about him, something the Italians call disinvoltura. Berardi is talented, but what really distinguishes him, at least according to Mandelli, is “a mental strength that’s out of the ordinary.”

Four of his goals have come from the penalty spot. You can scoff at that [and the distortion it puts on his goalscoring figures] but he’s won three of them himself. Only Hellas Verona striker Luca Toni has been awarded as many in Europe’s top five leagues. But whereas the World Cup winner leaves the penalty-taking duties to Jorginho, Berardi takes them himself. Just as Mario Balotelli is respected for the coolness he shows from 12 yards out, so too should he be. His hat-trick against Samp comprised two penalties. And he’s just 19. Look at the players to have scored a tripletta in Serie A by that age: Silvio Piola, Giuseppe Meazza, Felice Borel, Alessandro Del Piero [against Parma in 1994]. Esteemed company. Then of course, there’s Francesco Grandolfo.

Remember how he scored a hat-trick on his first appearance for Bari against Bologna back in May, 2011 - a game, incidentally that later came under scrutiny in the Calcioscommesse investigation? He was just 18. Not since Igor Protti in September 1996 had a Bari player hit a tripletta in the top flight. Hailed as the next big thing, Grandolfo’s tale is a cautionary one. He’s now playing for Savona down in Italy’s third tier.

Expectations around Berardi need to be kept in check. But there’s talent here. Lots of talent. Il Berra or Berardinho as he’s known is definitely one to watch over the course of the season.
http://www.whoscored.com/Articles/kx1comnno0uthh6fsbrqew/Show/Player-Focus-Berardis-Seamless-Progression-to-Serie-A-Stardom

good read.

[juvealbanian]

The new Del Piero in my opinion   
Already doing great in a mediocre team like Sassuolo,imagine how much he can grow on Juve.

[Guest]

the likes of allegri bonera zapata abbiati nocerino made 19 year old a legend by one night wtf...   

a disgrace in our 100 years of history and prestige..

[McAgger]

Never heard of him before today. I turned off the match at half time when he already had the hattrick thinking well he couldn't possibly score more but now I see he has 4.

Reminds me of Icardi last season with 4 goals in one game but he got hyped way too quickly which hurt him a bit. This kid definitely looks talented though.

[Firenze]

The new Del Piero in my opinion   
Already doing great in a mediocre team like Sassuolo,imagine how much he can grow on Juve.

giovinco at parma?

anyway, was discussing him just before kickoff and how he's one of watch for the future.

[juvealbanian]

The new Del Piero in my opinion   
Already doing great in a mediocre team like Sassuolo,imagine how much he can grow on Juve.

giovinco at parma?

anyway, was discussing him just before kickoff and how he's one of watch for the future.

Giovinco is not good enough for Juve,he had his chances and unfortunately failed to prove himself,he better goes somewhere to find more playing time.I really want to see Berardi on Juve next season,he's a great player with a great future,it's a shame that Serie A fans never heard of him before but he's one of the best young italians atm.

[juvealbanian]

the likes of allegri bonera zapata abbiati nocerino made 19 year old a legend by one night wtf...   

a disgrace in our 100 years of history and prestige..

Nobody made him a legend but he's on the right way to become a great player.
Im sorry for Milan,it's a shame to get destroyed by a 19 yrs old player and a mediocre team like Sassuolo.  

[El Chelsea Fuerte]

Who the hell are Sassuolo?

[futbol]

I've never heard of him before, but he just scored 4 against AC Milan Scores about ever 90 minutes for Sassuolo

Daniel Agger has become a striker now?

[M99]

It's not just one game though this was Berardi's best of his career. Berardi has been very promising all season and Sassuolo's best player. Juve own half of him sadly.

[Robespierre]

I follow Berardi from last year in Serie B, I loved him, regardless of goals he impressed me for movements and because he always does the right thing , very intelligent player

And he is right in the head, unlike of Icardi the crazy  fuc ker

Unfortuantely it was expected he would have joined to Juventus .... Sassolo and Juventus make deals each other for years , a solid parternship, comparable to Genoa with Milan/Inter.

[Vibe]

Sassuolo was our affiliated club until recently,don't know what happened there.

[Kaladin]

Additionally, Sassuolo's CEO is a Milan fan lol

[M99]

Secret Milanese agent Berardi to join Juve and destroy them from within

[rincon]

7 years since the last post in this thread and most of the posters in it are still around

Some seasons ago berardi was a controversial topic here, particularly during his period of innjuries and red cards.

After those seasons though, I have to say I love watching him play more and more. Everyone rates some players from Sassuolo over the years, but there is no doubt that he is the best of them. Choosing to stay at Sassuolo took him out of the spotlight as he is no longer a young talent, yet he has continued to grow. Doesn't get carded as before and seems past the injury troubles.

Most importantly I quote Robes here

I follow Berardi from last year in Serie B, I loved him, regardless of goals he impressed me for movements and because he always does the right thing , very intelligent player

Truer now than it was when he was a kid. Most intelligent winger in Serie A in terms of vision and decision making.

We don't need him at Juve with Chiesa and Dybala. Inter doesn't need him either with their 352. Napoli, Milan, or Roma with their array of average right wingers could really use him. Best RW in the league last season, likely this one as well if not for Chiesa.

[Robespierre]

Sassuolo is his comfort zone, he loves that place (Modena etc , Emilia Romagna I mean ) so he never felt the need to measure himelf on a biggest reality

Juve wanted him years ago, but he prefers to be king at Sassuolo than a bencher as Bernardeschi

[Arquitecto]

26 and still in Sassuolo.

That just screams lack of ambition to me.

Berardi is too talented to stay in a club which generally has no future beyond mid-table and best as he should at least move to Roma, Lazio (or Milan) and indeed, get out of his comfort zone.

[rincon]

On the one hand its a shame he didn't have the ambition to join Juve years ago when it was just missing the signature.

On the other hand it's nice to have players choose to stay at a certain club and become legends. De Rossi, Berardi, Belotti, Insigne, Papu, Di Natale, Immobile  give the league more character at their clubs.

Still crazy to think of Berardi going his whole career without testing himself outside of Sassuolo.

[S]

Sassuolo is his comfort zone, he loves that place (Modena etc , Emilia Romagna I mean ) so he never felt the need to measure himelf on a biggest reality

Juve wanted him years ago, but he prefers to be king at Sassuolo than a bencher as Bernardeschi

Immobile, Berardi, Insigne etc all have a bit of a provincial mentality to them. Happy to stay as a big fish in your comfort zone out of fear of not being able to meet expectations at a bigger team.

[rincon]

Sassuolo is his comfort zone, he loves that place (Modena etc , Emilia Romagna I mean ) so he never felt the need to measure himelf on a biggest reality

Juve wanted him years ago, but he prefers to be king at Sassuolo than a bencher as Bernardeschi

Immobile, Berardi, Insigne etc all have a bit of a provincial mentality to them. Happy to stay as a big fish in your comfort zone out of fear of not being able to meet expectations at a bigger team.

Immobile left Torino for Dorrmund. IMO he didn't have lack of ambition but found his right level at Lazio.

Berardi and Belotti are the ones who have really stuck to their big fish/small pond situation.

[farfan]

He doesn't have to jump to a big pond. A move to a club like Monaco would be ideal for a player like him.

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