ISSUE 001 | JULY 2026 | AREZZO, TUSCANY

19 OUT OF 20.

A newly promoted club. An Englishman with a plan. And a season in which survival would be considered success.

A City. A Club. A Second Chance.

There is something wonderfully romantic about Italian football away from the bright lights of Milan, Turin and Rome.

In Tuscany, where medieval streets wind between centuries-old buildings and football clubs are woven into the identity of their communities, ambition often exists in uncomfortable proximity to financial reality.

Arezzo knows that feeling rather well.

Founded in 1923, Società Sportiva Arezzo has spent much of its existence navigating the unpredictable waters of Italy’s lower divisions. The club’s highest league finish remains sixth in Serie B, achieved back in 1983/84. Since then, there have been promotions, relegations, disappointments and the occasional reason to believe that something greater might be possible.

Now, following another climb through the Italian football pyramid, the Amaranto are back in Serie B.

The celebrations, however, have barely subsided before reality has come knocking.

Of the twenty clubs preparing for the new campaign, Arezzo are predicted to finish nineteenth.

Only one team is expected to fare worse.

Welcome back to Serie B.

An Englishman in Tuscany

Into this rather precarious situation steps Matteo Roberti.

The 47-year-old Englishman arrives in Tuscany carrying something of a dual footballing identity. English by birth and fiercely proud of it, Roberti also has Italian blood running through his veins, courtesy of his father’s side of the family.

It is a heritage that appears to have left a considerable impression on his approach to the game.

A former player with experience in England’s second tier, Roberti has developed a coaching reputation built around defensive organisation, tactical discipline and an almost obsessive appreciation for keeping a clean sheet.

One suspects his English upbringing taught him the importance of hard work, while his Italian ancestry taught him that a 1–0 victory is not merely a result, but a perfectly acceptable form of artistic expression.

Whether the supporters of Arezzo will share that appreciation remains to be seen.

Roberti has previously favoured variations of a 4-3-3 and 5-2-3, although neither formation is guaranteed to survive the journey to Tuscany.

Pre-season will determine how much of his footballing philosophy can be imposed on the squad he has inherited.

For now, a manager who considers defending an art form seems a reasonable appointment for a club expecting a relegation battle.

The Price of Ambition

At first glance, Arezzo’s finances appear relatively healthy.

The club begins the campaign with approximately £3.13 million in the bank, while its existing wage commitments amount to around £94,000 per week, one of the lowest in Serie B.

There is, however, a rather significant detail buried beneath those figures.

The available transfer budget is £0.

The additional wage budget?

Also £0.

Roberti has effectively inherited a squad and been instructed to make the best of it.

The board’s expectations are hardly unreasonable in isolation. They want Arezzo to establish themselves in Serie B, progress into the proper stages of the Coppa Italia and operate within their financial means.

There are also ambitions to expand the Città di Arezzo, a 13,128-capacity stadium currently attracting average crowds of approximately 4,500.

Financial restraint, stadium expansion and Serie B survival.

The board clearly has a vision for Arezzo’s future.

Whether Roberti has been given the resources to deliver it is another matter entirely.

The Men Tasked With Defying Expectations

For all the gloomy pre-season predictions, there is genuine ability within the Arezzo dressing room.

Argentine central defender Julián Illanes, 29, will be particularly important. An aggressive, brave and positionally disciplined defender, Illanes possesses many of the characteristics associated with Roberti’s preferred footballing approach.

Further forward, Camillo Tavernelli and Alessandro Arena offer reasons for cautious optimism.

Tavernelli, 27, provides attacking versatility and an ability to carry the ball into dangerous areas. Arena, meanwhile, might be the most naturally gifted technician in the squad. At 25, the right-sided attacker combines an excellent first touch with the creativity to trouble opposition defences.

Then there is Leonardo Mancuso.

At 34, the experienced forward is approaching the latter stages of a career that has produced 141 goals in 495 senior appearances. His movement, determination and penalty-area instincts could prove invaluable in a season where opportunities may be scarce.

There is experience here. There is quality, too.

But there are questions.

Can Mancuso continue delivering at this level? Will Tavernelli and Arena provide sufficient attacking creativity? And can Illanes help establish a defence capable of standing firm against considerably stronger opposition?

These are questions Roberti must answer quickly.

Because Serie B has a habit of exposing weaknesses that lower divisions are prepared to forgive.

The People Who Matter Most

There are 46,108 people following Arezzo across social media.

Of those with a more tangible commitment, 1,966 have purchased season tickets, while the club’s average attendance stands at approximately 4,500.

For a side expected to struggle against relegation, that represents a community with a significant emotional investment in its football club.

Almost half of Arezzo’s supporter base class themselves as either core or hardcore.

They will not be expecting miracles.

But they will be expecting a fight.

Survival in Serie B is considered non-negotiable, while competitive performances against Pisa carry their own significance.

But goodwill in football is a notoriously fragile commodity, especially at a club that has waited so long to return to this level.

For now, the supporters have welcomed Roberti with optimism.

For all the uncertainty surrounding Arezzo’s return to Serie B, one thing remains constant: the supporters expect their team to fight.

A Project, Not a Promise

There has been no grand declaration of intent from Arezzo’s new manager.

No talk of European football. No ambitious timetable for promotion to Serie A. No suggestion that a tactical revolution is about to sweep through Tuscany.

For now, the objective is considerably more straightforward.

Understand the squad. Establish a competitive identity. Find a way to survive.

Pre-season will offer the first opportunity to see what Roberti intends to build.

There will be decisions to make, players to assess and difficult conversations about the future of a squad containing both ageing experience and younger potential.

With no transfer budget and no additional wage allowance, improvement may have to come from within.

And perhaps that is what makes this particular appointment so intriguing.

Arezzo have not hired a manager to assemble a collection of expensive footballers.

They have hired one to make a collection of existing footballers better.

Whether he can accomplish that remains to be seen.

But every project must begin somewhere.

And on 20 July 2026, in a city where football has been played for more than a century, a new chapter is beginning.

There will be time to talk about ambition. Time to talk about the future. Perhaps even time to dream.

For now, Matteo Roberti has one job.

Make sure Arezzo are still here next season.

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IL PROGETTO is an independent editorial series following the fortunes of SS Arezzo through Football Manager 2027. Inspired by the events, personalities and decisions of the save, it tells the story of a football club attempting to build a future against the odds.