PRESS ROOM | Zé Pedro speaks to the media

After the game against Inter at the Unipol Domus, Portuguese defender Zé Pedro spoke to the journalists. Here are his words:

AWARENESS AND REGRET
“Inter are a very strong team, and we already knew that. We tried to play our game, but in the first half we were unable to do everything we had prepared. At half-time, the Coach showed us where we were going wrong; we understood and corrected our mistakes. We did better in the second half: we could have found the goal and we stayed in the game until the end. There is some disappointment because, unfortunately, we were unable to get the equaliser. But now that game is behind us: we have to focus immediately on Thursday’s match.”

THE RIGHT ATTITUDE
“It was a difficult game, Inter have a lot of quality. But we never gave up, and this has to be our attitude in every game: we have to be proud of our work. We are a very united group, we work hard and we want to learn. The new arrivals have already understood what the Coach is asking of us. The team worked hard again today to try to get a result, but unfortunately we didn’t manage to do it. The applause from our fans at the end means a lot; they understood that we gave everything we had to try to get the equaliser.”

THANKS TO THE MEDICAL STAFF
“I took a knock in training and the last two days have been difficult. My neck was stiff and I had back pain. I still feel a bit of pain. There was a moment when I thought I wouldn’t be able to play. Our doctor and the physiotherapists helped me, and during the game I gradually started to feel better. I really want to thank our entire medical and healthcare staff for the work they did.”

THE COACH’S AND TEAMMATES’ TRUST
“The Coach’s trust is important. From the very first day, he made me feel at home. I have to give everything for him, for the team, for this land, for our people. Have I earned a regular starting place? No one can consider themselves an undisputed starter; that would be wrong. You have to earn your place every day through your work. I arrived last year, immediately made myself available to the team, and my teammates recognise that: I’m someone who works hard and always gives everything. We are a strong team and we are working well.”