Palermo tippui Coppa Italiasta mutta Pohjanpalo ja Joronen jahtaavat yhä nousua Serie Ahan
For Finnish football fans keeping a close eye on Italy, Tuesday night came with a sting of disappointment. Joel Pohjanpalo and Jesse Joronen’s Palermo has been knocked out of the Coppa Italia, bowing out to Serie A side Udinese in a tight 2–1 loss on the road.
That single result carried two very different meanings. For Palermo, it meant the end of their cup journey before it ever really got going. For Udinese, it opened the door to a glamorous quarterfinal clash with Juventus.
But perhaps more importantly, for Palermo it’s now all in on the Serie B season — and the high-stakes fight for promotion back to the top flight.
Inzaghi Shuffles the Deck — Pohjanpalo Left Watching
Palermo’s head coach, Filippo Inzaghi, took no chances with his squad’s heavy workload. He rolled out a heavily rotated starting eleven. The decision left Joel Pohjanpalo, Palermo’s Finnish goal machine, on the sidelines for the full match. Instead, he was handed a night off.
Jesse Joronen, though, had no such rest. The Finnish goalkeeper played the full 90 minutes and was kept busy. While he came up with several saves, Udinese’s pressure eventually told — twice the home side found the net. Palermo managed a goal of their own, but the rally ran out of steam before they could draw level. Just like that, the Coppa Italia curtain closed early.
No Finns Left Standing in the Cup
With Palermo’s exit, there won’t be any Finnish names left to follow in this season’s Coppa Italia.
- Jasper Samooja was benched when his Lecce side lost to AC Milan, 3–0.
- Niklas Pyyhtiä and Modena were sent home back in August after a narrow 1–0 defeat to Torino.
The competition has rarely been kind to Finnish players, and this year, any hope of a fairytale cup run ended before the Christmas lights even went up in Italian towns.
A Bigger Battle Ahead: The Race for Promotion
If there’s a silver lining for Palermo, it’s this: fewer distractions. Serie B is a battlefield this season, and their focus can now rest squarely on clawing their way into Serie A.
And the timing couldn’t be more dramatic. Coming up on Saturday, Palermo faces Cesena in a top-of-the-table showdown. Right now, Palermo, Cesena, and fellow Finnish-linked club Modena are locked on the same number of points at the top of the table. Every game, every goal, every moment counts.
That’s where Joel Pohjanpalo comes back into the spotlight. He’s been one of the most dangerous strikers in the division, a leader in both presence and goals. Odds are, he steps straight back into the starting lineup against Cesena — and his finishing touch could tip the entire promotion race.
The Cup Exit: Blessing or a Blow?
For many Serie B clubs, the Coppa Italia is less of a dream and more of a distraction. Chasing promotion takes everything — legs, energy, focus. On that level, Palermo’s exit might actually work in their favor: no more midweek detours, just the straight road toward Serie A.
Still, there are lessons to be drawn. Inzaghi’s heavy rotation wasn’t enough to topple Udinese, and it reminded fans and management alike that Palermo needs more depth and polish if it plans to walk among Serie A’s giants — and stay there.
In Short
- Palermo’s Coppa Italia run ended with a 2–1 loss to Udinese.
- Joel Pohjanpalo stayed on the bench, Jesse Joronen started in goal.
- With Samooja’s Lecce and Pyyhtiä’s Modena also out, there are no Finnish players left in the cup.
- Palermo now sets sights firmly on Serie B promotion, with a massive clash against Cesena up next.
Headline Options:
- Palermo Out of the Cup, But Promotion Push Just Getting Started
- No Finns Left in Coppa Italia as Palermo Exit vs. Udinese
- Cup Loss Could Be Palermo’s Gain as Serie B Race Heats Up
👉 What do you think — is an early Coppa Italia farewell actually the best thing that could’ve happened to Palermo’s season?