From dole queue to delfino: Insigne's shock Pescara return 14 years on
Former Napoli star Lorenzo Insigne set for emotional return to Serie B strugglers Pescara, where he enjoyed promotion success in 2011-12 alongside Immobile and Verratti.
Former Napoli icon Lorenzo Insigne is set to end his seven-month spell in the wilderness by making a romantic return to Pescara, the Serie B club where he first made his name over a decade ago.
Back where it all began
The 34-year-old Italian international hasn’t kicked a ball in competitive action since June 1st, 2025, when his stint at Toronto FC came to an end. Now, according to multiple Italian sources, Insigne is heading back to the club where he enjoyed one of his career’s defining seasons.
Back in 2011-12, a young Insigne was part of a legendary Pescara side that secured promotion to Serie A under the guidance of maverick coach Zdenek Zeman. That team featured some proper talent including:
- Ciro Immobile, who would later become one of Serie A’s deadliest strikers
- Marco Verratti, who went on to star for PSG and Italy’s national team
- Insigne himself, who bagged an impressive 18 goals in 37 appearances
Rescue mission
The timing couldn’t be better for Pescara, who are currently rooted to the bottom of Serie B with just 14 points. They’ve managed only two wins all season and sit six points from safety. Talk about needing a bit of the old magic!
Insigne is expected to arrive in the Adriatic coastal city in the Abruzzo region on Thursday for his medical. If all goes to plan, he’ll sign a contract until the end of the season with an option for another year.
Still got it?
At 34, Insigne isn’t exactly in the first flush of youth, but his technical ability and experience could be exactly what the struggling delfini need right now. After spending 11 seasons at Napoli becoming a club legend, followed by his Toronto adventure, this return to where it all began has a proper full-circle feeling about it.
The big question is whether he can still cut the mustard after seven months on his tod. If he can rediscover even a fraction of the form that saw him tear up Serie B 14 years ago, Pescara might just have a prayer of avoiding the drop.