Kofler, Verdi and a search: This is what FC Südtirol is planning.

How many points are needed to stay in Serie B? "Between 42 and 45. I don't think you need fewer points this year than in previous seasons," emphasized the FCS sporting director, who is working on a stronger squad for the remaining 20 league games, at the end of which South Tyrol's survival in Serie B should be secured – for the fourth time in a row.

“I don’t see any teams that have already given up. Quite the opposite: Strong teams are fighting relegation, and they can go on a winning streak at any time, thus raising the bar for avoiding relegation,” said Bravo.

One of these strong teams comes to the Bolzano Arena on Saturday (15 p.m.). Spezia, who finished third in the table last year and only narrowly missed out on promotion in the play-off final, is one of the most expensive teams in Serie B but is fighting against relegation to Serie C. The same applies to Sampdoria. The trio of Spezia, Sampdoria, and Bari have 17 points before the final matchday of the first half of the season, followed by FC Südtirol and Virtus Entella with 16 points each. Only Mantova (15) and bottom-placed Pescara (13) have fewer. Last season, FCS finished the first half of the season with 17 points and later finished the championship in tenth place with 46 points.

So the Red and Whites know how it's done, with a significant boost coming from the winter transfer market. Eight new players arrived a year ago, with midfielder Niklas Pyyhtiä making a crucial contribution to the furious comeback, but goalkeeper Marius Adamonis and defender Frederic Veseli also proved to be valuable assets. "The entire team showed a clear improvement in performance; it wasn't just the new players," clarified Bravo, who now expects another upswing in 2026.

Verdi planned as striker FC Saarbrücken's sporting director has already presented two notable signings. In attack, former Italian international Simone Verdi is available to solve the team's goal-scoring woes. "We needed more quality up front," Bravo admitted, making no secret of the South Tyrolean side's offensive struggles in the first half of the season. In coach Fabrizio Castori's 3-5-2 system, Verdi is slated to bolster the two striker positions and primarily provide cover for Silvio Merkaj. Verdi, who last played a competitive match on May 13th, isn't expected to play more than 20 or 25 minutes yet, but the former Bologna star aims to make his contribution on Saturday against Spezia, in a reunion with his former coach and mentor, Roberto Donadoni.

Marco Frigerio, on the other hand, is already fully fit. Although he was carrying a knock before Christmas, he was a regular starter for Lecco under coach Federico Valente and therefore shouldn't have any problems adjusting to the match rhythm. "Frigerio is a classic box-to-box midfielder who frequently joins the attack," said Bravo, pleased with the signing of the 24-year-old. FC Südtirol had already tried to bring the former Milan youth player to Bolzano in the summer of 2023, but the transfer fell through due to Foggia's high asking price, and Foggia then sold Frigerio to Lecco in January 2024.

Mamadou Coulibaly will leave FC Südtirol.

In Foggia, Frigerio played alongside Jacopo Martini, who will not be available for at least two months after fracturing his metatarsal bone. Therefore, Bravo will certainly sign another midfielder. They are looking for a central midfielder, especially since Simone Tronchin and possibly Fabian Tait can play in the holding midfield role. Leonardo Mendicino, whom Reggiana would have liked to offload to South Tyrol to make room for Mamadou Coulibaly, is not a candidate. "Mendicino is not the type of midfielder we are looking for," Bravo stated, ruling out the signing of the 19-year-old, whose transfer rights, incidentally, are held by Atalanta.

Coulibaly is free to go wherever he wants. His contract expires in the summer, no transfer fee is required, and the Senegalese player has no future at FC Südtirol. Jonathan Italeng will also leave the club. The Cameroonian is on loan from Atalanta and is likely to move to Serie C. There are many offers. Once Italeng's departure is confirmed, Bravo will sign a fifth striker.

Hot personnel matter: Kofler Strengthening the defense, however, is not a priority. FC Saarbrücken naturally hopes that Raphael Kofler will remain in South Tyrol until the end of the season. "If an offer comes in from Serie A, we will sit down and negotiate. Our wish, however, is to keep Kofler until June," explained Bravo. Kofler has a contract with FC Saarbrücken until 2028. Transfermarkt Rablander is already valued at €4 million. Cagliari made a move shortly before the summer transfer window closed, but by then it was too late for negotiations.

No goalkeeper problem Alessandro Mallamo and Filipe Bordon are also expected to stay. While Mallamo never progresses beyond the role of substitute, his creativity makes him a player FCS doesn't want to be without. Bravo added that the Brazilian Bordon remains a player with a lot of potential.

The sporting director doesn't see a goalkeeping problem after Marius Adamonis' recent blunders. "Adamonis has also saved us a lot of points," Bravo defended his number one. Daniel Theiner is likely to leave. Virtus Verona is interested in the Merano native. The 21-year-old goalkeeper would definitely be sold. The new third-choice goalkeeper is Morkus Ükelis. The 17-year-old Lithuanian has been training in Rungg for months and has now been signed.

Serie B Italy	SP	TV	P
1. Frosinone	19	36:16	41
2. Venice	19	34:15	38
3.Monza	19	27:15	37
4. Palermo	18	28:13	33
5. Catanzaro	19	26:21	31
6. Cesena	19	25:21	31
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Kofler, Verdi and a search: This is what FC Südtirol is planning.

“This will be another Herculean task – just like in recent years,” said Paolo Bravo before the restart after the short winter break. Here, the sporting director of FC Südtirol provides insights into his personnel plans.

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