In life, it’s usually about circles.You start your journey, go a long way, experience tons of ups and downs while on it, and in one moment, the circle of life closes.If you’re lucky enough – like Mancini and Vialli, who have just won the EURO 2020 title in the stadium where they lost the European Cup final 29 years ago – that circle provides you with a sky-high spirit.Or it can go the other way around. And then it’s dreadful and tragic.The case of the Italian side Chievo Verona serves as an example of the latter. Exactly 20 years ago, the Flying Donkeys – the nickname they derived from their archrivals, Hellas Verona, mockery – celebrated promotion to the Serie A. Under the guidance of charismatic tactician Luigi Del Neri, the yellow and blues ascended and subsequently took the Italian top division by storm.Good old days – Luigi Del Neri and his players celebrate the promotion to Serie A in 2001 (©Grazia Neri/ALLSPORT)After a sole season, they earned a place in the good old UEFA Cup, launched several previously unknown names into the Italian football stardom, and established themselves as the ‘new kids on the block’. The fairytale lasted for almost a decade before financial problems accompanied by poor results dragged them back to Serie B.However, a few years later, they returned to the top-tier, but it was just Chievo’s swan song. They were relegated again, struggling to pull off the old trick and repeat some of the earlier fame and status.Chievo fans during the Serie A days (©Grazia Neri/ALLSPORT)Finally, on Tuesday, the Italian media reported the Flying Donkeys are punished for their horrific financial situation and banned from playing in the second division and the third level of the Italian football pyramid. The fourth tear is their new home, but the dark clouds of bankruptcy overshadow Verona’s small, charming side.Not every circle puts you on top. Some of them are the end of the road. Chievo knows why.
