Beginning life under new management, Torino get their 2024-25 campaign under way on Sunday evening, when they host Cosenza Calcio in the Coppa Italia.
Following the departure of Ivan Juric, the Paolo Vanoli era will start in earnest with a first-round tie against Serie B opposition.
Match preview
© Imago
After months of bitter wrangling with Torino's top brass, former coach Ivan Juric departed Turin earlier this summer, despite overseeing an impressive period of stability during his stay.
Finishing just short of European qualification last term, Toro came close to matching a longstanding club record by posting no fewer than 18 clean sheets in Serie A - the club's best such total since 1977.
Star men Alessandro Buongiorno, Samuele Ricci and Raoul Bellanova were also named in Italy's provisional squad for Euro 2024, but Buongiorno has since followed Juric through the exit door and new boss Paolo Vanoli is now tasked with maintaining the Granata's momentum.
Vanoli was once Antonio Conte's assistant with Italy, Chelsea and Inter Milan, but now he arrives as head coach of Torino, fresh from leading Venezia to promotion through last season's Serie B playoffs.
Having ended pre-season with a draw against Lyon and a 3-1 win over Metz, Vanoli's new charges are now preparing for a tough first-day trip to AC Milan, but first they must try to avoid suffering an early cup exit.
Five-time winners of the Coppa Italia, but not since 1993, Toro went out in the second round last year, while Sunday's visitors were thumped 5-2 by Sassuolo in the first.
Cosenza are, by contrast with their hosts, a club with a very modest history, and they have never before come close to lifting the Coppa - though they did win the Anglo-Italian Cup back in 1983.
Sacked by Spezia midway through last season, current coach Massimiliano Alvini will be aiming to improve on the Rossoblu's ninth-placed finish in 2023-24.
That saw the Calabrian club claim a spot in the top half of the second-tier standings, but they were also only six points clear of the relegation zone.
Despite a fine finish to the campaign, William Viali departed and Alvini stepped in; his first competitive match comes on Sunday, before a meeting with former club Cremonese on Serie B's opening matchday.
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Team News
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Napoli-bound Alessandro Buongiorno has said goodbye, but Raoul Bellanova has stayed with Torino for now, and there have been relatively few personnel changes early in Paolo Vanoli's reign.
Equatorial Guinea international Saul Coco should replace Buongiorno in defence, while Scotland striker Che Adams is set to support last term's top scorer Duvan Zapata up front.
Centre-back Perr Schuurs is still making his way back from an ACL injury, but Nikola Vlasic is back in business after the muscle tear that ruled him out of Croatia's Euro 2024 campaign.
Meanwhile, Cosenza have recently added ex-Milan midfielder Jose Mauri to their squad, and the former Italy youth international will bolster a lineup without two of last season's regulars.
Mirko Antonucci has joined Serie B rivals Cesena, and Gennaro Tutino will be playing for Sampdoria this season; young striker Tommaso Fumagalli has signed on loan from Como, though.
Torino possible starting lineup:
Milinkovic-Savic; Bellanova, Coco, Sazonov, Masina; Ricci, Linetty, Ilic; Vlasic; Adams, Zapata
Cosenza Calcio possible starting lineup:
Micai; Cimino, Camporese, Caporale; Marras, Kourfalidis, Florenzi, Mauri, D'Orazio; Mazzocchi, Fumagalli
We say: Torino 3-0 Cosenza Calcio
Although finding the net was not their forte last season, new-look Torino should stroll through to the second round by striking more than once against modest opponents.
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Jonathan O'Shea
