With Roberto De Zerbi leaving the club(he would eventually go on to coach Palermo in serie A failing to avoid relegation) Foggia’s new manager Giovanni Stroppa was tasked with doing one thing- winning the league and beating his predecessor. The summer transfer market brought about evolution rather than revolution. Pietro iemmello’s loan was not renewed has he signed for Sassuolo from Virtus Lanciano who they themselves went bankrupt that summer. Three players were brought in of note- goalkeeper Enrico Guarna on loan from their pugliese rivals SSC Bari, Fabio Mazzeo on a free transfer who had scored 18 goals in the season prior with Benevento Calcio and Davide Agazzi from Atalanta on loan.

Fabio Mazzeo debuting for Foggia versus Monopoli.

Enrico Guarna.

Davide agazzi.

Due to the unfortunate scenes witnessed in the playoff final versus Pisa- Foggia were forced to play their first three home games behind closed doors which would mean that their first game in front of their fans would occur on the 23rd of October 2016 at home to Monopoli. Despite this, Foggia would go on a 7 match winning run beating the likes of Taranto at home 2-0 and away at Messina by 2 goals to 1.

However, things would come crashing down when Foggia went away to Castellmare di Stabia to face Juve Stabia on matchday 9. That fateful night would see Foggia come crashing down to a 4-1 defeat with a first half display that was especially abject and saw the media and fans seriously question whether or not the squad was indeed ready to win the league.

Juve Stabia players celebrating the temporary 3-0.

What followed was weeks of stuttering displays with 1-1 draws to Paganese and Casertana which would see Foggia lose top spot to Matera calcio. If the match at Castellmare di Stabia was a complete capitulation what arrived on the 7th of December was completely unexplainable.

Foggia were at home to lowly Fondi Calcio and even though Foggia were in inconsistent form going into the game- everyone had predicted an easy home win. Foggia would take a 2 goal half time lead through Vincenzo Sarno and Alberto Gerbo. However, in the second half a complete capitulation occurred with Fondi scoring three goals unreplied with the winner being scored on the 91st minute. Scores of boos would be unleashed towards the players and Stroppa was especially targeted. What happened in the press conference would have a consequent effect on the rest of the season…

Foggia fans underneath the Curva Sud has the fans yelled out insults towards them.

Stroppa would enter the press conference and simply exclaimed: “Either you support the team or don’t bother coming to the stadium. We need positivity,not criticism”

What followed was remarkable form with Foggia going into the winter break with 4 wins from 4. The winter transfer market arrived and Foggia made a signing who would go on to prove vital come the end of the season- Matteo Di Piazza who signed from Akragas. This was a striker who Foggia had been eying for many prior transfer windows but had finally gotten their man. A striker who could play has a winger or a main striker and could offer something that top scorer Fabio Mazzeo couldn’t- runs in behind the oppositions defesnive line. Di piazza would in fact go on to score on his debut versus Virtus Francavilla(score of 5-1 with a beautiful inside foot finish in the corner of the net)

The signing of Matteo Di Piazza was made official on the 25th of January.

All was going well with Foggia going tit for tat with their championship rivals Lecce Calcio and Matera. Foggia were only 2 points behind top of the league Lecce when they would go away to Taranto on the 12th of February where the Stadio Erasamo Iacovone would host this beautiful puglia derby. 8,000 Taranto fans packed out the stadium and were not disappointed- the home team with goals scored by Magnaghi and Altobello meant that the derby was theirs and Foggia now found themselves 5 points behind Lecce.

Taranto players and fans celebrating the famous derby win. Taranto would go on to get relegated to serie D at the end of the season.

However, unlike the Juve Stabia setback that had nearly derailed their season in October- Foggia took heed of this result and went on to win 4 consecutive games and on the 19th of March 2017 would play at home to Lecce. Both teams were equal on points. Whoever won this game would have the mental matchpoint. 17,500 fans packed out the Stadio Pino Zaccheria to see the heated rivalry see on a new chapter- one with even more resounding consequences. The first half saw Foggia completely wash away Lecce with goals scored by Tomasso Coletti and Fabio Mazzeo with Coletti’s goal being a 40 metre screamer and well worth checking out on YouTube . Francesco Deli would go on to add a 3rd in the second half to give Foggia a 3-0 victory.

Fabio Mazzeo celebrating Foggia’s 2-0 goal.

Foggia would go on to win their next 5 games and promotion would be secured away to Fondi where despite Foggia only drew 2-2- both Lecce and Matera lost meaning that Foggia had done it. After 19 long and frustrating years Foggia were finally back in Serie B. Their fans(including myself were in jubilant mood and 60,000 foggia fans celebrated in the main square.

Foggia’s main square Piazza Umberto Giordano filled to the brim with ecstatic satanelli fans.

Foggia- reggina 1-0 14th of April 2017.

Me(on the right of the picture) with my friends celebrating in the Curva Sud.

The Pino Zaccheria would finally be hosting Serie B games.

The question that all foggia fans were asking themselves was simple- could they replicate those before them who had gotten promoted to Serie B in SPAL and Benevento Calcio… and do the double promotion to the promised land of riches and fame of the Serie A?

Find out in Part 3 of what might have been- the foggia calcio story.