US Sassuolo Calcio — 2016/17 season (around)

US Sassuolo Calcio is an Italian professional football club based in Sassuolo, Emilia-Romagna. Around the 2016/17 season the team was coached by Eusebio Di Francesco, who had been appointed head coach in the summer of 2012 and led the club through its first years in Serie A.

• Manager: Eusebio Di Francesco
• Competitions (2016/17): Serie A, Coppa Italia
• Serie A 2016/17 finish: 12th place (42 points)
• Home stadium: Mapei Stadium – Città del Tricolore (Reggio Emilia)
• Typical formation and style: Di Francesco favored progressive, attacking play with emphasis on possession, quick transitions and full‑back/wing play. He often used variations of 4-3-3 or 4-3-1-2 depending on player availability.

Notable players in the squad around that season (selected)

• Andrea Consigli (goalkeeper)
• Francesco Magnanelli (midfielder, captain)
• Alberto Sensi (note: Stefano Sensi was emerging; Stefano Sensi played on loan at Cesena in 2015/16 and returned to Sassuolo later)
• Simone Missiroli (midfielder)
• Gregoire Defrel (forward)
• Domenico Berardi (winger/forward)
• Davide Biondini / Pol Lirola / Francesco Acerbi (defender; Acerbi was a key defender though he moved on during his career)

Coppa Italia 2016/17: Sassuolo were eliminated before reaching the late stages; their primary focus that season remained league consolidation under Di Francesco.

Aftermath: Eusebio Di Francesco left Sassuolo in 2017 to become Roma's head coach. His tenure at Sassuolo is remembered for promoting an attractive, attacking brand of football and for developing young Italian talents (notably Domenico Berardi and Stefano Sensi among others).