It is a strange sight to see a European champion like Domenico Berardi, still in his 30s, in Italy's Serie B. Sassuolo lost the category in the 2023-24 season and are now firmly at the top of an Italian second division that the striker is back on the pulse of more than a decade later.

The striker from Cropani Marina remains a One Club Man for a Sassuolo side he has been rumoured to be leaving on numerous occasions, none of which have materialised. The relegation could have been the ideal time for Berardi, still a big name, to leave for a bigger club, but a serious injury that kept him sidelined for half of last season has worked against him.

Berardi reached the peak of his career in 2021-22, when he scored 15 goals and provided 15 assists for the Italian club. Since then, he dropped to 13 goals and seven assists in a 2022-23 in which he was already plagued by physical problems. These were exacerbated by a serious injury in 2023-24, in which he barely made 18 appearances for Sassuolo. He had continued to perform well up to that point, scoring 9 goals and providing 3 crucial assists, but was unable to help his side in their fight to avoid relegation.

With no chance of a summer move due to that major physical setback, Berardi struggled for playing time this season and has only featured in seven of Sassuolo's 15 league games. Obviously, although his physical condition is not yet at its best after so long on the sidelines, his performances are several notches above those of the players who usually stand out in Serie B. He has scored a goal and provided 7 assists in those games and only in the 2-0 win over Modena did he not contribute anything.

Berardi reappeared with a few minutes in a 6-1 win over Cittadella in which he managed to assist. He provided 2 assists in the 2-5 win over Brescia, scored from the penalty spot in the 1-0 win over Mantova and assisted again in the 0-1 win over Südtirol, the 4-0 win over Salernitana (2 assists) and the 0-2 win over Reggiana.

If he maintains his above-average performances, the winter transfer window will present the Calabrian with another opportunity to move on from being one of the most recognisable ‘One Club Man’ in European football. Of course, a change of scenery would also strengthen his candidacy to return to the Italian national team for which he played his last match on 17th November 2023 against Macedonia (5-2 with his own assist).

The Italian striker, who has a contract until 2027 with Sassuolo, will have an unbeatable opportunity to shine again on a big stage on Tuesday against Milan in the Coppa Italia. The ‘Rossoneri’ is the most regular opponent in his career and also the one he has been best suited to with 11 goals and seven assists in 20 games. At the home of the Lombardy capital, where he suffered his first major injury last season, his tally is 3 goals and 6 assists with one game that stands out above the rest, the one played on 29th January 2023. On that day, Berardi scored a goal and provided 3 assists in a 2-5 win for Sassuolo.

December 1, 2024

D. Berardi

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