Luca Belardinelli and Co. tried hard in Mantua, but were unlucky. © FCS/Bordoni

Ouch! FC Südtirol with a thumping belly flop

FC Südtirol, which has been so convincing in recent weeks, has suffered a setback in its Serie B relegation battle. Fabian Tait and his team were badly thwarted by the league's troubled club.

March 29, 2025

From the 'Stadio Danilo Martelli' in Mantua

In the pouring rain in Mantua, FCS suffered a gut-punch on Saturday afternoon. After five consecutive unbeaten matches, the South Tyroleans are suddenly slipping dangerously close to the relegation zone. The play-off zone is now just one point away.

The approximately 250 FCS fans who traveled with the team had to rub their eyes several times in Mantua: Their favorites in white and red were unrecognizable compared to their previous performances. They rarely played decisively in their build-up play, and they repeatedly opened up ample space for Mantova when defending. Yet, coach Fabrizio Castori's charges still had a real chance to reverse the 0-2 deficit they had in a weak first half.

Mantova, however, held on to the lead with skill and a bit of luck. The promoted team from Lombardy thus ended the longest losing streak of any second-division club (eight games without a win) and celebrated its first home victory of the calendar year. At the same time, recently criticized coach Davide Possanzini saved his job. A South Tyrolean also played a small part in this: the 23-year-old from Val Gardena. David Wieser was substituted in the final phase and helped to secure the long-awaited victory.

The captain plays through for the first time

Wieser was one of three South Tyroleans on the wet pitch. For FCS, Raphael Kofler and Fabian Tait made their first start in almost six months. In the end, he played the full 90 minutes for the first time this season. However, even the captain couldn't save the South Tyroleans from a bitter away defeat.

After this slip-up, the pressure on FC Südtirol in the relegation battle is noticeably increasing again – starting with the next competitive match, next Saturday (15 p.m.) at home against seventh-placed Cesena.

Mantova 1911 – FC Südtirol 2-0

Mantua (3-4-3): Festa; Brignani, Cella, Bani (84. Solini); Radaelli, Fiori (73. Ruocco), Burrai, Trimboli; Galuppini (79th Bragantini), Mensah (46th Debenedetti), Mancuso (79th Wieser).

FCS: Adamonis; Kofler, Pietrangeli, Veseli (68. Masiello); Molina, Belardinelli (46th Martini), Tait, Casiraghi (46th Pyythiä), Barreca; Merkaj (58th Gori), Odogwu.

Gates: 1:0 Davis Mensah (11th), 2:0 Nicolò Radaelli (41st)

Viewers: approx. 6.000

Matchday 31 at a glance:

The table: