PRESS CONFERENCE | Coach Ranieri’s words

Thus Claudio Ranieri after Cagliari’s match at home to Genoa.

THE MATCH
“Genoa deserved, they played well, we didn’t succeed, congratulations to them. It’s a pity because we wanted to score points and give continuity, but when you play against those who are better you just have to applaud. Our strength wanted to be aggression, but we didn’t succeed. Thorsby was deployed almost as a striker and it hurt us. We must be good to turn the page immediately, put Genoa behind us and think about Lecce, on Sunday we have a beautiful and important match for our path”.

CONGRATULATIONS TO GENOA
“Mina has given us a lot since he arrived, but today we were missing several elements that make the team play well, some due to injuries and others to flu. I renew my compliments to Genoa and to Gilardino for what he did with his team, we go ahead in a championship that I think is beautiful both for the salvation zone and for Europe. I’m not sure how many points we need for salvation, maybe 36-37. It depends on the direct clashes, now we have one with Lecce. We have to go step by step, trying to score as many points as possible. I expect more psychological work than athletic recovery or technical-tactical work. With Lecce, as we have been saying for a long time, it will be a match of significant weight. They are almost safe, we are not yet. We have to do our best against a very good team that has regained enchantment and points, getting closer to salvation. We will need the will to save ourselves, we must have no regrets and we must fight until the last second. Then at the end of the road we will see if the points won will allow us to stay in Serie A.”

CHOICES
“There were a lot of absences and I inserted players who were in line with the play of recent weeks. It may be that without certain players it’s better to field a more wait-and-see team and wait for good weather after their outbursts. But I can’t reproach the boys for anything, they ran a lot but we weren’t able to limit a great opponent.

INDIVIDUALS AND THE CONTINUATION
“Oristanio told me he was OK but I had some doubts and that’s why I substituted him. I hope it’s just a bruise, we’ll see when we recover tomorrow but hopefully it’s nothing serious. We’ll understand as the hours and days go by who we’ll recover, I don’t know if we’ll manage with Dossena, Mina I hope so, Nandez has been conditioned by fever, little by little they’ll all come back. We must have balance, we’re there, the opponents haven’t overtaken us, let’s look at the glass half full and move forward, thinking about Lecce. I don’t think there was a bad approach or a lack of motivation, Genoa were simply better today”.