Crotone coach keeps promise and cycles the length of Italy

Crotone went on to pull off one of the greatest escapes in Serie A history, and on Sunday Nicola fulfilled his promise as he arrived in Turin after nine days of solid pedalling from the southern region of Calabria.





The 44-year-old was greeted by about 300 people as he completed his journey from Crotone in the southern Italian Calabria region to the northern city of Turin.

"Am I tired? I still do not feel any particular pain," he told reporters. "From tomorrow I will have a better idea and maybe I will feel a bit tired.

"What matters most to me is that my goal has been achieved. I kept the promise and, with the help of many people, we have also attracted the attention of many people to the question of safety on the roads.

"Here in Turin I was greeted with great enthusiasm: I am very excited. "

Crotone, playing in the top flight for the first time last term, looked for much of the season almost certain to be heading back to Serie B.

But, having taken only 14 points from their first 29 games, they found form to win six of their last nine matches and finished on 34 points, two points above the relegation places.

Nicola made his promise after a 2-1 win at Chievo, their first-ever Serie A away win, in early April.

Despite their late surge, Crotone began the final day of the season in the drop zone, but they beat Lazio 3-1 to leapfrog Empoli after the Tuscan side lost at Palermo and were relegated instead.

"It's been a beautiful journey, a fairytale," said Nicola.





(Writing by Brian Homewood; editing by Ken Ferris)


Share

2 min read

Published

Source: Reuters



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world