Berardi reveals: ‘I had an agreement with a big club, they play in stripes’

Sassuolo star Domenico Berardi has admitted that he was on the verge of joining a ‘big club’ before dropping into Serie B with the Neroverdi last season, but is unwilling to give away too many details other than the fact that the team in question plays in stripes. 

At the age of 31, Berardi has only ever turned out for Sassuolo, and has now amassed 409 competitive appearances for the Neroverdi. 

It had been suggested that Berardi could have left at the end of the 2023-24 season, when the club were relegated to Serie B, but still, he decided to stay on and help to return Sassuolo’s top-flight status. 

Berardi, speaking in a recent interview with Corriere dello Sport, has admitted that he has had opportunities to leave Sassuolo over the last few seasons, and has revealed that he had an agreement in place with one ‘big club’ before picking up a series of serious injuries in 2024. 

“If I’m honest, yes. Before getting injured, I had an agreement with a big club, everything was in place. But don’t ask me which club, I wouldn’t tell you anyway,” Berardi told Corriere dello Sport.  

Berardi was then asked if that secret team plays in stripes, which he admitted was the case: “I was sorry to not play in the Champions League, to not play at the highest heights. The Champions League has always been something I’ve wanted to try.

“I spent about a month being angry and disappointed. Then, gratitude towards this club prevailed. I feel the trust and they make me the star. I’m not Totti, but it’s still a big thing.” 

Berardi was asked in what sense he does not feel ‘like Totti’, to which he replied: “Sassuolo isn’t Roma. It’s a question of scale, not only in terms of football. Roma is a top club.” 

Speaking of his injury battles over the last few years, Berardi said: “It wasn’t easy, rupturing my achilles tendon after I’d just returned from meniscus surgery. I thought I was seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, and then fell back into complete darkness. For the first time, I feared it was over. 

“Professor Zaffagnini in Bologna fixed me. After two months, I started to fight again. My family helped me a lot. I was out of action for eight months. 

“This last year in Serie B served me well, even if, being honest, I didn’t play so well. I wasn’t 100%. It was useful to get back onto the pitch, into the game and into the right shape.”