Serie A

Venezia keep producing the football without converting: after two league defeats, the Arancioneroverdi led at Udine in the Coppa Italia before losing 2-1 and going out. Giovanni Stroppa again stressed the quality of the performance — “we had broken the game open, the regret is not having closed it out” — while acknowledging that his team were second best in the second half. The cramp suffered by several players, including Ale Gomes, is a reminder that a largely renewed squad is not yet physically ready. The trip to Frosinone on Sunday at 15:00 becomes a major fixture if they are not to settle into the role of bottom club.

The board continued strengthening to the last day of the window, with the official arrival of forward Antonio Fernández, born in 2008, on loan from FC Barcelona with an option and a conditional obligation to buy, and the return of Pasquale Mazzocchi from Napoli on loan with a conditional obligation. The young Spaniard publicly praised “the important project” presented to him and “the confidence I sensed from the very first moment”, which reflects a coherent institutional message. Stroppa, for his part, has never complained about the resources made available to him and preferred to highlight the answers his players gave. No disagreement is reported between staff and club.

The supporters' association L'Unionista APS publicly denounced the conditions of the away trip to Milan on 28/08: overcrowded shuttle buses with no air conditioning, late access to the stadium, a single bar and insufficient toilet facilities for 1,400 tifosi in the away section, a difficult post-match evacuation (hundreds of supporters stuck for more than 20 minutes in the stairwells) and a young supporter injured after being struck by a steward; the criticism is aimed mainly at AC Milan, the police and the local authorities, not the club (tuttoveneziasport.it, 31/08/2026).

Pressure on Giovanni Stroppa remains contained but is mechanically rising with a record of three defeats in three competitive matches. His message does not change: he values the content, the physical showing and individual responses rather than the raw results. His handling of rotation in the cup, with Lorenzo Montipò's debut in goal and Filip Stanković rested for the league, shows that he is clearly prioritising Serie A. The regular reminder, from the specialist press, of his past difficulties in keeping up the teams he has promoted remains the main shadow.

Survival remains the baseline, but the recruitment effort continued to the last hour with Toni Fernández's arrival and Mazzocchi's return, which reflects a determination to raise the level beyond mere survival. The young Spanish forward took up that register himself by assuring supporters that “together we must and can reach our objectives”. Going out of the Coppa Italia at the last-32 stage nonetheless refocuses the whole season on the league. The trip to Frosinone, against another promoted side, is the season's first genuine six-pointer.

No internal tension is reported, but the mood is still marked by the discontent expressed at the end of August by the association L'Unionista APS about the arrangements for the trip to Milan, criticism aimed at the hosts' organisation rather than at the club. On the pitch, Franjic's injury absence and the accumulation of cramp late in matches raise the question of the physical preparation of a rebuilt squad. Finally, having scored only one goal in three competitive matches, in the cup, sharpens the expectation around the attacking signings.