Jamie Vardy Gears Up For Another Underdog Story At Feelgood Minnows Cremonese | Nicky Bandini

Jamie Vardy had not reached his destination, but already he was getting a sensation of what whitethorn await him, a crowd of Cremonese supporters greeting him astatine nan exit of Milan’s Linate airdrome – 50 miles distant from their team’s location town. Never mind nan truth it was almost midnight connected a Sunday. He hopped retired of his car to motion autographs – 1 over a tattoo of his ain face. They sang for him to “take america to Europe”.

Even successful a summertime of celebrated names making unexpected late-career moves to Italy – from Kevin De Bruyne and Napoli to Luka Modric astatine Milan – Vardy joining Cremonese feels astir improbable of all. A subordinate who erstwhile vanished eighth successful nan Ballon d’Or vote, signing for a nine pinch a 16,000-seater stadium who person made only fleeting appearances successful nan apical formation since they were founded successful 1903.

Promoted via nan playoffs successful June, this is Cremonese’s ninth-ever play successful Serie A. Six of nan erstwhile 8 person ended successful relegation. The 2 exceptions came back-to-back, successful 1993-94 and 1994-95, nan second pinch a young Enrico Chiesa up front.

Before this season, they were nan bookies’ favourites to spell down again – up moreover of chap recently promoted sides Sassuolo and Pisa. They whitethorn yet, but successful 2 games Cremonese person contradicted nan communicative of a squad hopelessly retired of their depth.

They opened pinch a 2-1 triumph complete Modric and Milan astatine San Siro: a nighttime of bonzer firsts. This was Cremonese’s first-ever distant triumph against nan Rossoneri, and nan first clip they had won their opening crippled of a Serie A campaign. All nan erstwhile 8 ended successful defeat.

It was besides nan first clip their manager, Davide Nicola, had beaten Massimiliano Allegri. Hired this summertime aft Cremonese declined to renew nan statement of nan man who sewage them promoted, Giovanni Stroppa, Nicola is reputed arsenic Serie A’s awesome endurance expert. In caller years, he has steered Crotone, Genoa, Torino, Salernitana and Empoli done troubled waters to 17th-place finishes.

Cremonese’s Alessio Zerbin (left) and Sassuolo’s Josh Doig conflict for nan shot successful a thrilling lucifer connected Friday night. Photograph: Alberto Mariani/AP

Typically, he is nan man that owners move to midterm, to rescue seasons gone awry. Last year, afforded nan chance to lead Cagliari from nan start, he made it to nan heady heights of 15th.

After Cremonese’s triumph complete Milan, he said astir nan value of fostering a affirmative environment. “Everyone’s happy to person fixed immoderate joyousness to nan fans tonight,” he said. “That’s truthful important for nan power it transmits.”

The ambiance was electrical backmost astatine their ain Stadio Zini arsenic they hosted Sassuolo connected Friday. Rumours of Vardy’s imminent presence played their part. Before kick-off, nan club’s sporting head Simone Giacchetta described nan business to Dazn arsenic “one of those things that commencement retired a spot arsenic a joke, then, complete time, it starts to return connected form.”

It helps erstwhile nan club’s proprietor is simply a billionaire. Giovanni Arvedi bought Cremonese successful 2007, erstwhile they were still playing successful nan 3rd tier. His finance has been basal successful this climb backmost up nan ladder. Cremonese person not spent recklessly – their full outlay connected transportation fees this summertime is little than €15m – but his backing will person made costs negotiations for Vardy little painful.

Cremonese jumped retired to a 2-0 lead complete Sassuolo earlier half-time. Filippo Terracciano headed location from a corner, past Franco Vázquez applied a last touch connected Antonio Sanabria’s changeable crossed goal. But past season’s Serie B champions pulled backmost level aft nan interval. Andrea Pinamonti served an businesslike turn-and-finish earlier Domenico Berardi converted a punishment fixed distant cheaply by nan substitute Alberto Grassi.

The visitors looked to push for a winner. But Cremonese won a punishment of their ain successful wounded clip erstwhile different substitute, Romano Floriani Mussolini, was fouled by Alieu Fadera. Manuel De Luca, nan subordinate whose 2 goals successful nan playoff last against Spezia secured Cremonese’s promotion successful June, scored from nan spot earlier moving nan magnitude of nan transportation to observe nether nan location Curva.

Mussolini’s surname will jump disconnected nan page for galore readers. He is nan great-grandson of nan fascist dictator Benito Mussolini and nan boy of Alessandra Mussolini, a erstwhile personnel of nan Italian and European parliaments. And yes, he plays connected nan correct wing.

He is besides his ain person, a 22-year-old who has insisted authorities does not liking him. His desire to region himself from that sermon whitethorn beryllium reflected successful nan truth that he chooses to deterioration his first name, Romano, connected his shirt.

Leicester’s 2015-16 Premier League title was wide celebrated successful Italy, a triumph to which galore fans felt connected done nan fig of Claudio Ranieri. Photograph: Nigel French/PA

Nicola praised his capacity connected Sunday, noting pinch restitution that this was nan 4th subordinate successful 2 games to whom Cremonese had fixed a Serie A debut. One of nan astir awesome aspects of their accelerated commencement is nan number of players who person made telling contributions.

Cremonese are playing successful a 3-5-2 nether Nicola. Their beforehand 2 against Milan was made up of David Okereke and Federico Bonazzoli – who sealed nan triumph pinch a superb scissor-kick. Injury kept him retired against Sassuolo, but Vázquez returned from suspension to start, and Sanabria was fixed nan motion alongside. De Luca came connected arsenic a precocious sub successful some games.

Each of these players has different strengths, and nan pecking bid is not yet clear. Sanabria and Bonazzoli person each worked nether Nicola astatine erstwhile clubs and nan second said precocious astir really overmuch he values their relationship, saying: “His value to maine goes beyond nan accustomed player-manager dynamic. He has a weight successful my life.”

The expectation, still, is that Vardy will start. Despite turning 38 successful January, nan Englishman scored 9 Premier League goals past season, and his directness ought to make him a bully fit. Nicola likes his teams to play successful a debased block, relying connected accelerated breaks and ratio connected nan counterattack. Cremonese, done their first 2 games, person conformed to this type.

It is early yet to tie conclusions, but location are encouraging signs beyond nan results. Jari Vandeputte, thing of a lower-league fable aft piling up 32 goals and 66 assists successful nan 2nd and 3rd tiers complete nan past 4 seasons (playoffs included), ran nan midfield and group up nan opening extremity against Sassuolo. Alessio Zerbin, a indebtedness signing from Napoli, has impressed connected nan right.

The astir important thing, of course, is that they person six points connected nan board. Enough to move them apical of nan array connected Friday night, moreover if different clubs person since caught up.

Vardy’s presence has multiplied nan already abundant enthusiasm for this underdog story. Leicester’s 2015-16 Premier League title was wide celebrated successful Italy, a triumph to which galore fans felt connected done nan fig of Claudio Ranieri. Patriotic pridefulness was recovered successful nan truth that 1 of nan country’s astir likable exports had authored specified an improbable triumph successful nan richest convention successful nan world.

For an English awesome of that occurrence to recreation successful nan other direction, each these years later, has unleashed waves of happy nostalgia. Those fans who greeted Vardy astatine Linate were asking him to return them connected a European adventure. For now, their club’s ninth-ever play of top-flight shot is shaping up arsenic its ain fascinating caper.