Crotone went on to pull off one of the greatest escapes in Serie A history, the team had only earned a paltry 14 points from their first 29 games but came home with a wet sail to take 20 points from their last nine matches, propelling themselves just above the drop zone.
On Sunday Nicola fulfilled his promise to the team and also brought awareness to a cause close to his heart - road safety for cyclists.
Nicola experienced the horrific personal loss of his son, who was killed when a bus hit the back wheel of his bicycle close to his home, in July 2014.
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The 44-year-old was greeted by about 300 people as he completed his journey from Crotone, in the southern Italian region of Calabria, to Turin, in the north of Italy.
“What matters most to me is that my goal has been achieved," said Nicola. "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.”
The Crotone manager arrived in Turin after nine days of traversing Italy from south to north, pedalling from the southern region of Calabria.
“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.
Nicola, the former coach of Livorno, made his promise after a 2-1 win at Chievo, their first-ever Serie A away win, in early April.
Despite their late push up the table, 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.
