The new Torres season begins with an immediate test of their credentials.

On Sunday, 16 August at 6:00 pm, the Rossoblù will take on Spezia at the Alberto Picco Stadium in the first knockout round of the Coppa Italia Serie C.

It will be the first competitive match of the 2026-27 season, and Alfonso Greco has no intention of treating it as merely another step in pre-season preparation: Torres will travel to Liguria determined to progress to the next round.

Greco: “We want to see where we stand”

For the Torres head coach, the match will above all provide the first genuine test of his team following their work during pre-season training camp.

Torres have not played any friendlies against teams from the same division, so the clash with Spezia will provide an opportunity to assess how the team responds under pressure and how far they have progressed in their preparations.

Greco expects a difficult match against a side regarded as one of the strongest in the league, but he wants to see Torres approach the challenge with confidence and character.

His message is clear: “We’re not going there for a stroll.”

Defensive injury problems

The biggest concern is in defence.

Torres head into their first competitive fixture with several injury problems and limited options at the back.

Antonelli will miss the match with a shoulder problem, while Mattia Scaringi is also definitely unavailable after suffering a fracture to the fifth metatarsal in his left foot during pre-season.

Greco, meanwhile, has given no clues about his starting line-up, pointing out that some players still have relatively few minutes in their legs and that managing their workload will therefore be important.

Torres are not finished in the transfer market

The Rossoblù squad is also yet to be completed.

Greco explained that the club has already identified several players considered suitable for the project, but some potential deals depend on those players being released from their current contracts.

There is no cause for alarm, then, but there is an awareness that the Torres side that takes to the pitch at the Picco may not yet be the finished product.

First test of the new season

After pre-season training camp and weeks spent building the new-look squad, the match against Spezia will finally provide some meaningful answers on the pitch.

The result will naturally matter in a knockout competition, but Greco will be particularly interested in seeing identity, organisation and the ability to respond to adversity.

Torres head into the match as underdogs and without several important players, but they have no intention of simply making up the numbers at the Picco.

The Rossoblù season begins in Liguria. And, as Greco made clear, Torres are not travelling there for a day out.