"Jamie Vardy had not reached his destination, but already he was getting a taste of what may await him, a crowd of Cremonese supporters greeting him at the exit of Milan's Linate airport 50 miles away from their team's home town. Never mind the fact it was almost midnight on a Sunday. He hopped out of his car to sign autographs one over a tattoo of his own face. They sang for him to take us to Europe."
"Promoted via the playoffs in June, this is Cremonese's ninth-ever season in Serie A. Six of the previous eight have ended in relegation. The two exceptions came back-to-back, in 1993-94 and 1994-95, the latter with a young Enrico Chiesa up front. Before this season, they were the bookies' favourites to go down again ahead even of fellow newly promoted sides Sassuolo and Pisa. They may yet, but in two games Cremonese have contradicted the narrative of a team hopelessly out of their depth."
"They opened with a 2-1 win over Modric and Milan at San Siro: a night of extraordinary firsts. This was Cremonese's first-ever away victory against the Rossoneri, and the first time they had won their opening game of a Serie A campaign. All the previous eight ended in defeat. It was also the first time their manager, Davide Nicola, had beaten Massimiliano Allegri. Hired this summer after Cremonese declined to renew the contract of the man who got them promoted, Giovanni Stroppa, Nicola is reputed as Serie A's great survival expert."
Jamie Vardy arrived at Milan's Linate airport to a late-night reception from Cremonese supporters who sang for him to take them to Europe and asked him to sign autographs, one over a tattoo of his own face. Vardy's move to Cremonese feels improbable given his Ballon d'Or eighth-place finish and the club's 16,000-seater stadium and sparse top-flight appearances since 1903. Promoted via the playoffs, this is Cremonese's ninth Serie A season; six of the previous eight ended in relegation, with two exceptions in 1993-94 and 1994-95 featuring Enrico Chiesa. Preseason odds favoured relegation, yet Cremonese opened with a 2-1 win at San Siro over Milan, their first-ever away victory against the Rossoneri and their first opening-game win, while manager Davide Nicola recorded his first win over Massimiliano Allegri.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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