The wait in Pisa is over. The Tuscan club has won a Serie A match for the first time since 1991—thanks to a native of Berlin.
SC Pisa had to wait 34 years for a victory in Italy’s top flight – then a Berliner saved the traditional club, which had fallen on hard times. Thanks to a goal in the 75th minute by former German U-19 international Idrissa Touré, Pisa defeated US Cremonese 1-0 (0-0) on Friday evening, winning a Serie A match for the first time since May 1991.
“I said before the match that I would score a goal. Now I’m even happier, of course, and hope that this adventure continues,” said 27-year-old Touré, who moved to Italy from Werder Bremen’s second team in 2018 and has been under contract with Pisa since 2021.
Memories of Diego Simeone
With the club from the “city of towers,” Touré made his return to Serie A this year, from which Pisa had been relegated in 1991—as a result, the club had at times only played in the fourth division. At the time of its last victory in Italy’s top flight, the club, which later went bankrupt, was still called AC Pisa. In the 1-0 win against AS Bari on May 12, 1991, the young Diego Simeone, now a legendary coach at Atletico Madrid, played in Pisa’s midfield.
“My team could have lost heart in the difficult moments, but they didn’t,” said coach Alberto Gilardino, once a star striker for Italy’s national team: “Today is a gift for all of us and for the effort we have put in over the past few weeks.”
From Buffon’s son to 40-year-old Albiol
Gilardino succeeded successful coach Filippo Inzaghi after the promotion. In the first ten games of the season, Pisa, under “Gila” and with veteran stars such as Juan Cuadrado (37, in the starting lineup against Cremona), Raul Albiol (40, bench) and Swiss midfielder Michel Aebischer (28), as well as young stars such as goalkeeper’s son Louis Buffon (17, bench), had six draws and four losses. Gilardino was nevertheless allowed to continue – not a matter of course given the traditional turnover of coaches in Italian professional soccer.
After this joyful event and the upcoming international break, Pisa will continue on November 24 with an away game at Sassuolo Calcio.