POST-MATCH | Coach Pisacane after the friendly in Madrid

These are the words of Rossoblù head coach Fabio Pisacane following the friendly against Rayo Vallecano in Madrid, won on penalties after the 1-1 draw in regular time.

A REAL TEST
“We wanted to play this test against a high-level opponent to gather some important indications ahead of the resumption of the league. We didn’t change our approach. I was pleased to see some of our young players, such as Akarakiri and Piro. I’m disappointed that I couldn’t use Kevin Carlos, who would have benefited from getting some minutes under his belt, but he felt a problem with his rectus femoris yesterday morning and we will assess him over the next few days.
“Everyone who came on did well, from Sugawara to Massolin, as did all those who have had less playing time so far. Sulev? He has important qualities. I know him well and I know what he can potentially give us, both now and in the future. Sugamele has our full trust; we believe in him a lot and it’s no coincidence that he has already made his Serie A debut and made two appearances. He also showed his qualities today.
“I’m pleased for Nzola, who found the net again. We didn’t want a friendly where everything would be easy. We wanted a real challenge, so that we could return to Cagliari with more information and greater awareness.”

THE INTERNATIONAL BREAK
“Such a long break was something new for us. We’re looking forward to welcoming the international players back and we’ll have to assess what kind of physical condition they return in. When you have so many games close together, it’s difficult to work with heavy training loads like we have done. We also worked with individualised loads, depending on the needs of each player.”

READY TO START AGAIN
“We never completely switched off. We all know very well that after the break another 33-game league will begin, and we will have to be ready. The team has earned this enthusiasm and will have to deserve it game after game.
“I would like to thank the fans who once again made the demanding trip today. We have to live up to this passion, and that is a mantra we must always keep firmly in mind.”