PRESS ROOM | Coach Pisacane heads to Pisa
These are the words of Fabio Pisacane, Cagliari coach, on the eve of Cagliari-Pisa, scheduled for Sunday at 12:30 at the Unipol Domus.
The Rossoblù coach met with the media in the press room of the Crai Sport Center in Assemini, culminating in a traditional Christmas toast with the Sardinian press for the final press conference on New Year’s Eve.
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THE SITUATION
“Games like the one against Pisa are all finals; they’re matches whose importance you have to understand. We’ve been working well. Borrelli suffered a sprain in Bergamo and was already almost out by the end of the first half. We’re moving forward with the medical staff, figuring out whether we can have him available or not. He ran a bit today, so let’s see if he can play the game. I can’t say too much. The replacement? Pavoletti will fill in for him based on his characteristics, and then we have Kilicsoy and Esposito who can fill that central midfield role. I don’t like to look at the absences, though. I have a wide range of players to consider for this match too, and we shouldn’t have any excuses for who might not make it.”
CONSTANT DEVELOPMENT
“The Napoli match, played at a time when we hadn’t won in months, saw us emerge unscathed and with strong responses. The team has shown encouraging signs during this period; the lads never gave up. The last period has provided positive insights; the day after tomorrow we’ll see where our work has taken us. The match against Pisa, for a team like ours, must bring out characteristics that can only be innate; they don’t come from outside or through training.”
ON MINA AND THE MATCH
The goal is to play the game and interpret it as best we can. I think we could focus on a more direct attack and less of a back-to-back approach. Playing the game doesn’t necessarily mean having to make 30 passes in your own half, but also, and above all, finding the verticality we’ve been working on since July and which needs to be built over time, increasing our speed of thought. I hope the team understands the importance of the match, but I have no doubts. Mina? She started individual training last Friday; yesterday she worked with the team for almost the entire training session. We know her medical condition; she’s an important player and has 7-8 more days of gradual management. Today Mina is in better condition than in the past; we know her situation and, like every individual, she has her own prerogatives and medical characteristics to manage.
MENTALITY
“The time and patience to win are running out. The goal is three points, we’re not hiding. Right now, we need to cut back on small talk; we need to continue along the path we’ve set. I have a mature team, smart and eager players; they know the importance of the game. I worked as always, without overburdening the team but still maintaining a high level of concentration. I find it hard to imagine this match not being given importance; there’s no need to beat around the bush.”
TOUGH OPPONENT
“This is the toughest championship in the last ten years, and we shouldn’t think Pisa has already given up. They’re a quality, valuable team, but like all teams, they also have their weaknesses that we’ll need to exploit. They started with some difficulties, which is normal for a newly promoted team, but they’ve achieved important results, even against the odds, which shows that the quality is there, so we need to be fully focused and eager to demonstrate the fruits of our hard work over the past few months, and especially over the last few days.”
MAZZITELLI GROWING
“He can provide leadership, dribbling, and shooting from outside. He’s been slow lately, and that’s really disappointing because we’re short-stacked in midfield. I hope to give him a little more space; he’s been great every day, and I thank him.”
FIRST MONTHS AS A COACH
In my first press conference, I said that fear is a feeling we have to live with. In these first six months, I’ve tried to do as little harm as possible. I listen to everyone, I engage with everyone, I have colleagues I respect and who respect me. I’m lucky: I didn’t think that after a period of victory drought, I’d have the support of the people as I’ve seen. This ties me even more to these colors and these fans; I don’t want to disappoint them; I’m always thinking about how I can make them proud. I’m giving it my all and I need everyone’s support; I can’t get anywhere alone. Life has presented me with certain challenges, and this is one I’m happy to face, unlike others that have brought pain and suffering.
PISA, IMPORTANT RACE
“You can always take something positive and instructive from everyone. Pisa teaches us that certain matches prepare themselves and there’s no need for too many words, but to dig deep within each of us to find the energy and qualities that you either have or you don’t have. When I talk about finals, I’m talking precisely about this: the difficulty is not proving something to those who are above us in terms of values and ranking, but to those who are at our level. In football, points count, and we’ve taken home some praise, often, but with fewer points than we deserved. Pisa teaches us that these are precisely the matches where you can get hurt and that matter more than others.”
GAETANO AND BORRELLI
“Gianluca amazes me every day, especially with his character. He’s a guy who needs no introduction; he’s reached good condition and could start this time. We’re evaluating Gennaro with the medical staff; I don’t rule out a speedy recovery. Today, I can’t and don’t want to say he won’t be in the game. We’re carefully evaluating his situation, having already had a similar injury in the past.”
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