PRESS ROOM | Pisacane before the match in Bologna

Rossoblù coach Fabio Pisacane spoke at a press conference on the eve of the match at the “Dall’Ara” stadium scheduled for Sunday, May 3. These are his words:

MASTERS OF THEIR OWN DESTINY
There are still four games to go, and our championship is being decided now: from now until the end, we need to score as many points as possible, only then can we afford not to have to watch what the others are doing. Our advantage in the standings shouldn’t be about security, but about responsibility. This is my belief, and the team knows it well: we can’t afford to lower our focus, pace, or mentality. We’ve always had a margin in the hot seat, a gap that at one point in the season narrowed a bit, and at that point, unconsciously, a bit of anxiety set in. Our destiny is in our hands; everything depends on us.

THE OPPONENT
When you win against a team like Atalanta, the team’s mood is obviously positive. However, we’ve had some important results against some of the league’s biggest teams and then lacked consistency, a problem this team has had from previous seasons. So now we have to remain very focused. Tomorrow we have another very tough match; it’ll be hot. However, I’ve seen a good team with all the players I have available; everyone is eager to make their mark, so after this morning’s training session, I’m left with a few more doubts. Bologna is a team that can hurt you if you give them space: they have a clear identity, we’ll have to be very good at managing distances and reading preventive moves. They have a very deep squad; they’ll be missing a few players, but they’ll be replaced as best as possible. We have to be very careful: if we play our game, we could cause problems.

DETERMINATION AND ATTACHMENT
“Gym training during the match against Atalanta? I don’t know if it was a move that surprised the opponent. I didn’t discuss it with Palladino after the match, we didn’t discuss how we’d both prepared, even though it often happens with other coaches. That’s also the beauty of those who do our job. Many staff who analyze Cagliari might think we’re “gym-dependent”: this means paying more attention to the player, who has very specific characteristics. If in a team like Cagliari one of the key elements of the match strategy is a winger, it becomes easy to limit ourselves. It was a move I’d been thinking about for a few weeks, I thought the match against Atalanta was the right match to propose it. I’m aware of the criticism that would have rained down on me if things hadn’t gone well, but doing this job involves making decisions, I know what I’m facing. A coach also lives by feelings. Sometimes things can go well, sometimes badly. But all the decisions I make are only to help Cagliari win. All the guys who came in have shown great ability. Determination, a strong sense of commitment, and a desire to fight to ensure Cagliari can remain in its rightful place. There are still four steps to go, which we want to take with energy, courage, and energy to achieve some satisfaction, in addition to achieving our goal.”

MAXIMUM CONCENTRATION TOWARDS THE GOAL
“Aside from Pavoletti, Idrissi, Felici, Borrelli, Mazzitelli, and Raterink will be missing. He has a knee problem, nothing serious, but he’s not 100% fit. I’d prefer to rest him and have him back with the team next week. This morning, Mendy had his first training session of the week with the group: his age is on his side, he’s energetic. I spoke to him: his legs are working well, but let’s wait until tomorrow morning. Folorunsho? Deployed behind the striker, he had the best seasons of his career. He’s sacrificed so much for the cause: when strikers are available, they’re put on the pitch, especially because, ultimately, they’re the ones who win matches. If, unfortunately, you have to do without them, you need to think about the economy of the game and, sometimes, make a virtue of necessity. My thoughts coincide with those of the group and are to save Cagliari. I’m focused on this objective with all my energy. I’m thinking about doing this, my job: from this perspective, the priority right now is certainly not my future.”

THE FIRST VERDICTIONS
“The relegation verdicts? Looking at the numbers, Verona should have been ranked higher, which once again proves how difficult the Serie A championship is. Pisa also played their honest game yesterday; evidently, some seasons are like this. I wish these two teams the best of luck in their speedy return to Serie A; they’re two teams that deserve to be in the top division.”