| 2010–11 season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Maurizio Zamparini | |||
| Head coach | Delio Rossi (until Week 27) Serse Cosmi (from Week 28 to 31) Delio Rossi (from Week 32) | |||
| Serie A | 7th | |||
| UEFA Europa League | Group stage | |||
| Coppa Italia | Runners-up | |||
U.S. Città di Palermo played the2010–11 season inSerie A, the seventh consecutive season for the Sicilian club in the Italian top flight since their return to the league in 2004.
Long-time Palermo playersFábio Simplício andMark Bresciano left therosanero by 30 June after failing to agree for a contract extension with the club. On 29 May 2010Legea was announced as Palermo's new teamwear sponsor, taking over such duties fromLotto Sport Italia.[1] The club also announced in June 2010 a one-year agreement extension with main sponsorEurobet.[2]
The first high-profile move from Palermo was completed on 11 June, when the club announced the signing ofChilean prolific strikerMauricio Pinilla fromGrosseto.[3] The move was followed by the signing of experiencedSiena forwardMassimo Maccarone days later.[4]
On 6 July it was confirmed the appointment of 38-year-old former playerGiovanni Tedesco as the club's new team manager.[5] On 7 July Palermo also announced the signing ofPolish international defenderKamil Glik.[6]
On 8 July, Palermo announced to have soldDanish international centre-backSimon Kjær to1. Bundesliga clubVfL Wolfsburg.[7] Four days later, the club confirmed to have signed Italy U-20 internationalMatteo Darmian fromAC Milan in a co-ownership bid.[8]
On 16 July Palermo announced the signing of Argentine full-backSantiago García fromRosario Central.[9] The next dayNapoli announced the acquisition of Uruguayan international strikerEdinson Cavani from therosanero club.[10]
As a replacement for Kjær, Palermo then chose to acquire young Argentine centre backEzequiel Muñoz; the player was successively announced to have joined the club's Austrian training camp on 30 July, after he underwent a medical in Sicily.[11] The transfer was officially formalized on 4 August.[12] On 6 August,Paolo Beruatto was introduced as the new head of thePrimavera under-19 squad.[13] On the same day, Palermo was coupled to Slovenian clubNK Maribor for the playoff round of the2010–11 UEFA Europa League, with the first leg scheduled at Stadio Renzo Barbera, Palermo on 19 August, and the return leg seven days later at Maribor's home venue.[14] In the first leg, and the first competitive seasonal game for Palermo, the Sicilians defeated Maribor with a clear result of 3–0, thanks to goals from Maccarone, Hernández and Pastore;[15] therosanero won the qualification to the group stage one week late, despite losing the return leg 3–2.[16][17] On the following group stage draw, Palermo was included in Group F together withPFC CSKA Moscow,Sparta Prague andFC Lausanne-Sport.
On 27 August 2010 Maribor announced to have sold midfieldersArmin Bačinović andJosip Iličić, both Slovenian internationals, to Palermo.[18] The first league game, played on 29 August, ended in a 0–0 home draw toCagliari; on the very next day, Palermo announced the signing of Brazilian 18-year-old attacking midfielderJoão Pedro fromAtlético Mineiro.[19]
Palermo started the season in good fashion, achieving impressive results such as away wins againstJuventus andFiorentina, as well a clear home win againstRoma; in particular, the newly acquired Slovenian duo of Bačinović and Ilicić proved to be an absolute bargain signing, with both players being regularly featured in Palermo's Serie A games and praised. Other new signings who managed to break into the first team in a regular basis included defenderEzequiel Muñoz and strikerMauricio Pinilla.
Impressive results at domestic league level were not repeated in the Europa League, as Palermo was eliminated by the likes ofPFC CSKA Moscow andSparta Prague, ending the qualification round with only 7 points (2 wins, 1 draw, 3 losses).
In December 2010 Palermo confirmed to have signed a third Slovenian player from Maribor, defenderSiniša Anđelković, who will join therosanero from January 2011.[20] A fourth Slovenian player, midfielderJasmin Kurtić, was acquired days later.[21]
Another winter move was completed on 24 January 2011, with strikerMassimo Maccarone departing from Sicily after only six months, in order to join fellow Serie A clubSampdoria in a permanent transfer move.[22] The following day, Palermo won qualification to the Coppa Italia semifinals after defeatingParma on penalties.
This result was followed by a string of three consecutive defeats, the latest of whom being a record home loss in which a nine-man Palermo succumbed toUdinese in a shocking 0–7 result, which represents both the largest home loss and the largest Serie A loss in the club's history.[23] Such result led to immediate rumours regarding an imminent dismissal of head coach Delio Rossi, that was informally confirmed by Zamparini himself in several interview throughout the day.[24] The next day Palermo formally announced the dismissal of Delio Rossi and the appointmentSerse Cosmi as his replacement.[25][26] After two more losses (against Lazio and Genoa, respectively), Cosmi achieved his first win in charge of Palermo by surprisingly defeating league-toppersAC Milan in a 1–0 home triumph, with Romanian defenderDorin Goian scoring the only goal of the game.
On 3 April 2011 Cosmi, after the defeat in the derby withCatania, for 4–0 was sacked. In its place, after 4 games backDelio Rossi.[27] Rossi's return led Palermo ultimately back to track with a surprising 3–2 win atStadio Olimpico against Roma, and an even more surprising win in the Coppa Italia semifinals, where therosanero defeated freshly-crowned Italian champions AC Milan with an aggregate 4–3 win (2–2 in Milan, 2–1 in Palermo), thus qualifying the Sicilians to the domestic cup final for their third time in history. The final, that saw a massive participation from Palermo fans, ended however in a rather controversial 1–3 loss toInter, with Muñoz scoring the only goal for therosanero in a game the Sicilians were forced to play without key elements as Bačinović and Bovo, and with Goian getting injured in the first half to be replaced byMoris Carrozzieri, who was at his second game in the season after a two-year suspension due to cocaine usage. In the days following the event, Zamparini and Delio Rossi announced to have parted company, thus freeing the Palermo dugout for the new season.
| — | MF |  SUI | Pajtim Kasami(fromAC Bellinzona[28]) |
| — | FW |  CHI | Mauricio Pinilla(fromGrosseto[3]) |
| — | FW |  ITA | Massimo Maccarone(fromSiena[4]) |
| — | DF |  POL | Kamil Glik(fromPiast Gliwice[6]) |
| — | DF | ITA | Matteo Darmian(fromMilan, co-ownership[8]) |
| — | GK | ITA | Giacomo Brichetto(fromNovara[9]) |
| — | DF |  ARG | Santiago García(fromRosario Central[9]) |
| — | GK | ITA | Francesco Benussi(fromLecce[29]) |
| — | DF | ARG | Ezequiel Muñoz(fromBoca Juniors[12]) |
| — | GK | ITA | Mattia Migani(fromRimini, free transfer[30]) |
| — | FW | ITA | Michele Pieri(fromRimini, free transfer[30]) |
| — | DF |  GRE | Sokratis Tsoukalas(fromAtromitos[31]) |
| — | DF | ITA | Nicola Maniero(on loan fromPadova[32]) |
| — | FW | ITA | Umberto Nappello(fromPotenza, free transfer[33]) |
| — | MF |  SVN | Armin Bačinović(fromMaribor[18]) |
| — | MF | SVN | Josip Iličić(fromMaribor[18]) |
| — | MF |  BRA | João Pedro(fromAtlético Mineiro[19]) |
| — | MF |  ISR | Eran Zahavi(fromTel-Aviv[34]) |
| — | FW |  PAR | Daniel Jara Martínez(fromClub Nacional[35]) |
| — | MF | BRA | Fábio Simplício(end of contract, toRoma) |
| — | MF |  AUS | Mark Bresciano(end of contract, toLazio) |
| — | FW | ITA | Marco Giovio(toGrosseto, co-ownership[3]) |
| — | DF | ITA | Antonio Mazzotta(toLecce, co-ownership[36]) |
| — | MF | ITA | Giovanni Tedesco(retired[5]) |
| — | DF |  DEN | Simon Kjær(toVfL Wolfsburg[7]) |
| — | DF | ITA | Alberto Cossentino(toNovara, co-ownership[37]) |
| — | FW | ITA | Davide Lanzafame(toJuventus[38]) |
| — | FW | ITA | Davis Curiale(toCrotone[37]) |
| — | DF | ITA | Andrea Raggi(toBari[37]) |
| — | DF | ITA | Emanuele Terranova(toFrosinone[37]) |
| — | MF | ITA | Daniele Conti(toSüdtirol[37]) |
| — | DF | SUI | Michel Morganella(toNovara[37]) |
| — | GK |  ALB | Samir Ujkani(toNovara[37]) |
| — | MF | ITA | Karim Laribi(toFoggia[39]) |
| — | FW | ALB | Edgar Çani(toModena[40]) |
| — | FW |  URU | Edinson Cavani(toNapoli[10][41]) |
| — | DF | ITA | Samuele Romeo(toAlessandria[40]) |
| — | DF | ITA | Eros Pellegrini(toPavia[40]) |
| — | MF | ITA | Roberto Guana(toChievo[42]) |
| — | MF | ARG | Nicolás Bertolo(toReal Zaragoza[43]) |
| — | FW | ITA | Davide Succi(toPadova[32]) |
| — | DF | ITA | Daniel Cappelletti(toPadova[44]) |
| — | DF | ITA | Hernán Paolo Dellafiore(toParma[45]) |
| — | DF | ITA | Andrea Adamo(toReggiana[46]) |
| — | FW |  CRO | Igor Budan(toCesena[47]) |
| — | GK | BRA | Rubinho(toTorino[47]) |
| — | GK | ITA | Giuseppe Ingrassia(toPergocrema[47]) |
| — | MF | ITA | Salvatore Temperino(toCanavese[47]) |
| — | DF | SVN | Siniša Anđelković(fromMaribor[20]) |
| — | DF | SVN | Jasmin Kurtić(fromGorica[21]) |
| — | FW | ITA | Michele Paolucci(on loan fromSiena[48]) |
| — | FW | ALB | Jurgen Hoxha(fromL'Aquila[48]) |
| — | MF | ITA | Maurizio Ciaramitaro(released[49]) |
| — | FW | ITA | Massimo Maccarone(toSampdoria[22]) |
| — | DF | POL | Kamil Glik(atBari[50]) |
| — | MF | ITA | Nicola Rigoni(atVicenza[51]) |
| — | MF | BRA | João Pedro(atVitória Guimarães[48][52]) |
| — | FW | ITA | Paolo Carbonaro(loan return fromBarletta, toGela[48]) |
Updated 22 May 2011[53]
| Win | Draw | Loss |
| Date and time | Opponent | Venue | Result | Scorers | Attendance | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 August 2010 – 20:45 | Cagliari | Home | Drew 0–0 | 28,612 | 1Archived 1 September 2010 at theWayback Machine,2 | |
| 12 September 2010 – 12:30 | Brescia | Away | Lost 2–3 | Pastore,Balzaretti | ~ 7,000 | 1Archived 14 September 2010 at theWayback Machine,2 |
| 19 September 2010 – 15:00 | Inter | Home | Lost 1–2 | Iličić | 27,291 | 1Archived 20 September 2010 at theWayback Machine,2 |
| 23 September 2010 – 20:45 | Juventus | Away | Won 3–1 | Pastore,Iličić,Bovo | ~ 16,000 | 1Archived 26 September 2010 at theWayback Machine,2 |
| 26 September 2010 – 15:00 | Lecce | Home | Drew 2–2 | Pinilla,Maccarone | 22,378 | 1[permanent dead link],2 |
| 3 October 2010 – 15:00 | Fiorentina | Away | Won 2–1 | Iličić,Pastore | ~ 35,000 | 1Archived 10 October 2010 at theWayback Machine,2 |
| 17 October 2010 – 15:00 | Bologna | Home | Won 4–1 | Pastore,Iličić,Pinilla,Bačinović | 23,587 | 1[permanent dead link],2 |
| 24 October 2010 – 15:00 | Udinese | Away | Lost 1–2 | Pinilla | ~ 20,000 | 1[permanent dead link],2 |
| 27 October 2010 – 12:30 | Lazio | Home | Lost 0–1 | 29,539 | 1,2 | |
| 31 October 2010 – 20:45 | Genoa | Home | Won 1–0 | Pinilla | 24,368 | 1Archived 10 November 2010 at theWayback Machine,2 |
| 7 November 2010 – 20:45 | Milan | Away | Lost 1–3 | Bačinović | 38,903 | 1Archived 12 November 2010 at theWayback Machine,2 |
| 21 November 2010 – 15:00 | Catania | Home | Won 3–1 | Pastore (3) | 25,532 | 1Archived 17 November 2010 at theWayback Machine,2 |
| 28 November 2010 – 15:00 | Cesena | Away | Won 2–1 | Iličić,Miccoli | 14,068 | 1[permanent dead link],2 |
| 4 December 2010 – 20:45 | Roma | Home | Won 3–1 | Miccoli,Iličić,Nocerino | 29,691 | 1Archived 3 December 2010 at theWayback Machine,2 |
| 11 December 2010 – 20:45 | Napoli | Away | Lost 0–1 | ~ 40,000 | 1[permanent dead link],2 | |
| 18 December 2010 – 18:00 | Parma | Home | Won 3–1 | Pinilla,Miccoli,Kasami | ~ 25,000 | 1[permanent dead link],2 |
| 6 January 2011 – 15:00 | Torino | Away | Drew 1–1 | Iličić | ~ 15,000 | 1Archived 28 December 2010 at theWayback Machine,2 |
| 8 January 2011 – 15:00 | Sampdoria | Home | Won 3–0 | Miccoli,Migliaccio,Maccarone | 26,020 | 1Archived 7 January 2011 at theWayback Machine,2 |
| 11 January 2011 – 15:00 | Chievo | Away | Drew 0–0 | 9,800 | 1[permanent dead link],2 | |
| 16 January 2011 – 12:30 | Cagliari | Away | Lost 1–3 | Pastore | ~ 8,000 | 1Archived 22 January 2011 at theWayback Machine,2 |
| 22 January 2011 – 18:00 | Brescia | Home | Won 1–0 | Bovo | 21,152 | 1,2 |
| 30 January 2011 – 15:00 | Inter | Away | Lost 2–3 | Miccoli,Nocerino | ? | 1[permanent dead link],2 |
| 3 February 2011 – 20:45 | Juventus | Home | Won 2–1 | Miccoli,Migliaccio | 25,972 | 1Archived 4 February 2011 at theWayback Machine,2 |
| 6 February 2011 – 15:00 | Lecce | Away | Won 4–2 | Miccoli,Pastore,Hernández,Iličić | ~ 15,000 | 1Archived 10 February 2011 at theWayback Machine,2 |
| 13 February 2011 – 12:30 | Fiorentina | Home | Lost 2–4 | Pastore,Nocerino | 24,571 | 1Archived 15 February 2011 at theWayback Machine,2 |
| 19 February 2011 – 18:00 | Bologna | Away | Lost 0–1 | ~ 20,000 | 1Archived 23 February 2011 at theWayback Machine,2 | |
| 27 February 2011 – 15:00 | Udinese | Home | Lost 0–7 | 22,831 | 1Archived 22 July 2011 at theWayback Machine,2 | |
| 6 March 2011 – 20:45 | Lazio | Away | Lost 0–2 | ~ 25,000 | 1Archived 13 March 2011 at theWayback Machine,2 | |
| 13 March 2011 – 15:00 | Genoa | Away | Lost 0–1 | 1 | ||
| 19 March 2011 – 20:45 | Milan | Home | Won 1–0 | Goian | 25,116 | 1 |
| 3 April 2011 – 15:00 | Catania | Away | Lost 0–4 | ~ 25,000 | 1 | |
| 10 April 2011 | Cesena | Home | Drew 2–2 | Kurtić,Pinilla | 1Archived 14 April 2011 at theWayback Machine | |
| 16 April 2011 | Roma | Away | Won 3–2 | Pinilla,Hernández (2) | 1Archived 11 January 2013 atarchive.today | |
| 23 April 2011 | Napoli | Home | Won 2–1 | Balzaretti,Bovo | 1Archived 30 May 2011 at theWayback Machine | |
| 1 May 2011 | Parma | Away | Lost 1–3 | Pastore | 1Archived 3 May 2011 at theWayback Machine | |
| 8 May 2011 | Torino | Home | Won 2–1 | Miccoli,Bovo | 1Archived 14 May 2011 at theWayback Machine | |
| 15 May 2011 | Sampdoria | Away | Won 2–1 | Miccoli,Pinilla | 1Archived 19 May 2011 at theWayback Machine | |
| 22 May 2011 | Chievo | Home | Lost 1–3 | Nocerino | 1Archived 25 May 2011 at theWayback Machine |
| Date and time | Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Scorers | Attendance | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 January 2011 – 17:30 | Round of 16 | Chievo | Home | Won 1–0 | Miccoli | ~ 8,000 | 1,2 |
| 25 January 2011 – 21:00 | Quarter-finals | Parma | Home | Won 0–0 (5–4p) | 15,335 | 1Archived 28 January 2011 at theWayback Machine,2 | |
| 20 April 2011 – 20:45 | Semi-finals – First leg | AC Milan | Away | Drew 2–2 | Pastore,Hernández | 1Archived 3 May 2011 at theWayback Machine | |
| 11 May 2011 – 20:45 | Semi-finals – Second leg | AC Milan | Home | Won 2–1 | Migliaccio,Bovo | 33,414 | 1 |
| 29 May 2011 – 20:45 | Final | Internazionale | Olimpico, Rome | Lost 1–3 | Muñoz | 68,815 | 1Archived 2 June 2011 at theWayback Machine |
| Date and time | Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Scorers | Attendance | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 August 2010 – 20:30 | 1st round – 1st Leg | Maribor | Home | Won 3–0 | Maccarone,Hernández,Pastore | 28,416 | 1Archived 22 August 2010 at theWayback Machine,2 |
| 26 August 2010 – 20:45 | 1st round – 2nd Leg | Maribor | Away | Lost 2–3 | Hernández (2) | ~ 12,000 | 1Archived 28 August 2010 at theWayback Machine,2 |
| 16 September 2010 – 19:00 | Group stage – Group F |  Sparta Prague | Away | Lost 2–3 | Maccarone,Hernández | 13,766 | 1Archived 28 August 2010 at theWayback Machine,2 |
| 30 September 2010 – 21:00 | Group stage – Group F | FC Lausanne-Sport | Home | Won 1–0 | Migliaccio | ~ 10,000 | 1[permanent dead link],2 |
| 21 October 2010 – 21:00 | Group stage – Group F |  PFC CSKA Moscow | Home | Lost 0–3 | ~ 10,000 | 1[permanent dead link],2 | |
| 4 November 2010 – 19:00 | Group stage – Group F | PFC CSKA Moscow | Away | Lost 1–3 | Maccarone | ? | 1Archived 6 November 2010 at theWayback Machine,2 |
| 25 November 2010 – 21:00 | Group stage – Group F | Sparta Prague | Home | Drew 2–2 | Rigoni,Pinilla | ~ 10,000 | 1[permanent dead link],2 |
| 9 December 2010 – 19:00 | Group stage – Group F | FC Lausanne-Sport | Away | Won 1–0 | Muñoz | ? | 1Archived 18 December 2010 at theWayback Machine,2 |
