Know the enemy: Frosinone has never survived a season in Serie A

Promoted with a 5-0 thrashing of Mantova and bought for €41.5m by a US investment fund, Frosinone arrive at the Maradona fresh from a 3-0 win at Fiorentina and two goals from Antonio Raimondo — with three previous spells in Serie A, all ending in relegation.

by Gennaro SanninoThursday 8 October, 10:24 CET· 4 hours ago

Frosinone Calcio Benito Stirpe vs Reggina tifosi ANT — Foto: Antonio Fraioli · CC BY-SA 4.0

Frosinone are back in Serie A after two seasons out, promoted in second place in Serie B on the back of a 5-0 win over Mantova on the final day. It's the club's fourth promotion to the top flight, following 2015, 2018 and 2023 — and on all three previous occasions they went straight back down.

The club changed hands over the summer. The American fund Clara Vista Investment Partners bought an 80% stake for €41.5m, while president Maurizio Stirpe, in charge for 23 years, kept the remaining 20%. In Serie A, Frosinone currently sit sixth with 10 points from five games, nine goals scored and four conceded — a stat, not a verdict on the team Napoli will find at the Maradona.

Massimiliano Alvini is the head coach. Frosinone won 3-0 away at Fiorentina in their most recent league fixture, striking early and shutting the game down before half-time — a sign they can hurt teams in transition and don't disappear once they're ahead.

The dangers

The name Napoli need to watch is Antonio Raimondo. He scored twice against Fiorentina — on 26 minutes from a Giorgi Kvernadze assist, then on 68 minutes after a pass from Gabriele Bracaglia — settling the game with two different types of finish at two different stages.

Bracaglia, a left-back who came through Frosinone's academy, also scored in that same game, heading in Giacomo Calò's free kick on 38 minutes. He's a full-back who gets forward and matters both in open play and on set pieces.

Frosinone also strengthened the squad with Romano Schmid, an Austrian signed from Werder Bremen — the most expensive transfer in the club's history, a sign of how much the new ownership wants to invest in the team.

Where to strike

Behind the more experienced names sits a young group facing its first real test in Serie A: Matteo Cichella, a 20-year-old midfielder signed from Roma's Primavera (their under-19 side), and Filippo Grosso, 19, who arrived from Juventus's academy and is the son of Fabio Grosso — who coached Frosinone themselves between 2021 and 2023. Both established themselves in Serie B last season, but their lack of experience at this level is something an organised side can work against.

Among Frosinone's other new arrivals are two faces familiar to Napoli supporters: Luis Hasa and Alessio Zerbin, who joined the club this summer after leaving Napoli.

Napoli go into this match with a league position that doesn't reflect their quality and a draw at Fiorentina that has left supporters waiting for answers. Against a side that has already shown it can strike fast, merely showing up at the Maradona won't do. This needs a performance that removes doubt, not another delay until January.