Its crucial recent match against then second-place Hellas Verona drew only 3, 000 Sassuolo fans most of them appeared to be families, in contrast to the vocal, mostly male traveling support from Verona.

WSJ: Sassuolo on Brink of Promotion to Italian Soccer's Serie A

Craig Davies left Oxford United to play for Hellas Verona in Serie B a couple of years ago and former Watford and Stoke striker Gifton Noel-Williams had a year in the Spanish Segunda Liga with Real Murcia and Elche.

BBC: Ask Steve Claridge