FC Südtirol wore their anniversary jerseys at home against Carrarese in November. © DLife/Luca Ognibene

REVIEW | How difficult was the FCS season?

FC Südtirol missed out on direct promotion to Serie B for the first time in their history after a bitter draw against Juve Stabia on Friday evening. For FCS, it was a regular season marked by two major crises. Here's a brief look back in chronological order.

10 May 2026

From: dl

Summer 2025: FC Südtirol continues to rely on the services of Fabrizio Castori, who took over mid-season last year and led the club to safety. As usual, training took place in the Ridnaun Valley over the summer. The squad was largely retained, with only defender Andrea Giorgini being sold to Juve Stabia. In his place, they acquired Filipe Bordon, a promising center-back from Lazio's youth academy. Additionally, striker Emanuele Pecorino was brought back. Matteo Rover, however, was no longer needed by Castori.

Strong start to the season: With four points from two games – including a home win against Sampdoria – FC Südtirol got off to a good start. By the end of September, they had eight points after five matches. Silvio Merkaj was particularly impressive at the beginning of the season. Castori's team seemed solid and always ready to spring a surprise!

Playmaker and finisher: Salvatore Molina and Silvio Merkaj got along well throughout the season. © DLife

The mega-crisis: On October 1st, FC Südtirol missed out on their first away win of the season in Pescara, conceding a last-minute goal (90+5). Subsequently, Raphael Kofler and his teammates slid into a sporting crisis – partly due to personnel issues. At one point, the Red and Whites were short of defenders. Was the preseason training too tough? The fact is: FC Südtirol remained winless for a full three months – until the end of 2025. After 13(!) games without a victory, FC Südtirol slipped into the relegation zone, with only three points separating the bottom five teams.

The brilliant start to the year: With a 2-1 home win against Spezia, in which Kofler scored the winning goal, FC Südtirol ended their winless streak in the first match of 2026. At the end of January, FC Südtirol celebrated their fourth consecutive victory against Catanzaro, catapulting the Red and Whites into the middle of the table. They also strengthened their squad during the winter transfer window – including the signing of three former Serie A players, such as striker Simone Verdi.

A sore loss at the end of the season: Raphael Kofler, pictured here scoring one of his three goals. © FC Südtirol

Is that it now? FC Südtirol continued their strong performance in February, securing draws against top teams like Monza and Venezia. After their 4-0 away win against Reggiana in early March, all the experts were certain: FCS no longer had to worry about relegation this season. On the contrary, Daniele Casiraghi and his teammates were knocking on the door to the playoffs. The only setback was the serious injury to goalkeeper Alessio Cragno, who had impressed in both of his appearances.

The second major crisis: Just three days later, FC Südtirol suffered an unlucky 0-1 home defeat against Virtus Entella despite dominating the game. Subsequently, FCS slid into another major crisis. This time, they endured a winless streak of over two months and ten consecutive matches without a victory. The two thrashings in La Spezia (1-6) and at home against Mantova (0-3) at the end of April were particularly egregious. Kofler's absence was sorely felt in defense. The draw against Juve Stabia This was the last straw, meaning FCS has to go into the playout against Bari.