PRESS ROOM | Pisacane after the victory

These are the words of Fabio Pisacane, Cagliari coach, after Cagliari’s victory over Juventus at the Unipol Domus.

HEROIC GUYS
“There’s satisfaction. The team has shown order and a spirit of sacrifice, which further confirms that if we fail in certain matches, it’s often part of the process and we need to grow gradually. Today the boys were heroic, they played a great game, all of them. Today I struggle to find a player who only gets a 6 in their report card. A great response. I hope the team can learn from this match, realizing they can do even more, and that it boosts their self-esteem. On the right flank, we did very well with Ze Pedro and Palestra. They doubled up well, and we limited Yildiz and Cambiaso. The most important duels of the game were played on that flank. It’s impressive because in 2020, Cagliari’s last win, I was on the bench as a player, today as a coach. Beautiful.”

GAETANO PLAY-MAKER
“An idea that also stems from the desire to have our say and not just suffer. Gianluca allowed us to have control of the ball, but I was impressed by his lack of possession, and I’ll take that home tonight. Today we have another arrow in the quiver, but he’s already played there, because both he and I see Gaetano in that position on the pitch. He deserved this performance and satisfaction. Gaetano as a playmaker is nothing new, he already played there against Bologna, but we need to be balanced in our judgments because if he hadn’t put in this performance, he would have been destroyed, and not just him. We see them every day and make decisions based on many factors, and today Gianluca really put in a strong performance without the ball. He can be a plus for us, not just him. I hope they are, and that whoever needs to arrive arrives, everyone is important to our journey.”

THE DEFENSE
“An idea that also stems from the desire to have our say and not just suffer. Gianluca allowed us to have control of the ball, but I was impressed by his lack of possession, and I’ll take that home tonight. Today we have another arrow in the quiver, but he’s already played there, because both he and I see Gaetano in that position on the pitch. He deserved this performance and satisfaction. Gaetano as a playmaker is nothing new, he already played there against Bologna, but we need to be balanced in our judgments because if he hadn’t put in this performance, he would have been destroyed, and not just him. We see them every day and make decisions based on many factors, and today Gianluca really put in a strong performance without the ball. He can be a plus for us, not just him. I hope they are, and that whoever needs to arrive arrives, everyone is important to our journey.”

FANS, SUPER SARDINIAN PEOPLE
I thank the fans for their patience and their unwavering support. They’ve waited so long for a home win. They never give up, they wait for us and for me, even though I’m making my debut. In short, I’ll always be grateful. The celebration? It’s what I’ve been through these past few days, when I was thinking about redeeming the result for our fans. It’s the desire not to disappoint them, to thank them for their patience with us. I’m doubly grateful to our people, all the Sardinians who support Cagliari, who are truly everywhere. I spent eleven years here at Cagliari, I trained as a coach in the youth academy. Now, the Sardinians are my people, and I will always thank them for the patience and support they give us everywhere.

YERRY LEADER
“Mina is a great guy, you have to know him well and train him. He grew up in the alleys of his city, like I did in Naples: he’s ambitious, a true leader. Unfortunately, this year we haven’t always had him consistently, and I know how much he wanted to do well tonight. We owe Mina even more thanks because he gritted his teeth again today, he wanted to play, we talked until the end. Despite his leadership, he also needs help because he can give us so much.”

BRAVO, ZÉ PEDRO
“A boy who has paid the price for his injury, like many others. We know his value, and we’re all truly happy for him. He deserves it first and foremost as a man, as well as a footballer, who has plenty of top-level experience, given his past at Porto.”

FREE KICK PLAY
“It’s absolutely not a fluke, credit goes to Murelli and Battilana for taking care of set pieces. They defend with a castle like us, and Gaetano’s foot and Mazzitelli’s timing made the difference. It’s fair to give credit to my staff for taking care of set pieces.”

RESULTS, BUT MORE
“The debate between results-oriented and game-oriented? I’m somewhere in the middle. Everyone has their own ideas and mentality about work and play. We’re doing our best with a squad decimated by injuries; today we also lost Zappa, but we’re really giving it our all, and it showed today. You shouldn’t judge coaches solely on results. I certainly like to achieve my goals, but I also like to play well, clearly, when possible and within my means. Let’s just say I’m somewhere in the middle of this debate.”

ZAPPA’S STOP
“Knowing him, I don’t think it’s a foolish decision to stop like this. He’ll undergo tests and we’ll see. Let’s hope for the best, because he brings us so much on a human and technical level. In any case, I’m saying that today’s performance won’t influence the transfer market. Today’s discussions were also based on the various dynamics we know about.”

FEW CHANGES
“I didn’t want to upset the team that was working well. If we’d conceded a goal at the end, we all know the judgments would have been different. We know football and how these things go.”