PRESS CONFERENCE | Nicola before Juventus-Cagliari
On the eve of the Frecciarossa Italian Cup Round of 16 clash away to Juventus, Davide Nicola spoke before the team’s departure for Turin. It is a motivated and aware Cagliari side preparing to take the field on Tuesday evening at 9 PM (live on Canale 5) at the Allianz Stadium, to face one of the big names in Italian football.
PRIDE AND MOTIVATION
“Atalanta is the past, this is a different competition, with completely different dynamics. I told the players to go out on the field with pride and the desire to measure themselves against another great team. We’ve earned this opportunity, so it’s right to give it our all. Juventus is a revamped team, who made a quality transfer market and showed their full strength in Europe just a few days ago. In the league, they are doing their part, fighting for objectives different from ours. They will play with players of absolute quality. We will have to be at our best, because if you don’t put in a top performance against teams like this, it’s tough. Against such sides, it can happen that you’re not at your best and maybe end up with a less favorable result. We will need to be good at creating opportunities for ourselves.”
THE LINE-UP
“The squad is almost fully available, but I still need to assess some situations. Jankto, Obert, and Luvumbo will not be part of the match. We’ll check Zito’s condition in the coming days with the medical staff to determine when he will be available again. Scuffet will definitely be in goal; in defense, Zappa, Palomino, one between Mina and Wieteska, and Augello. In midfield, Marin, Prati, and Deiola, I still need to assess Felici; up front, Lapadula and Gaetano, but during the match, we could also see Pavoletti and Piccoli. In general, the idea is to approach the game in the best way, managing our energy properly and making selections based on what the game demands.”
FASCINATING CHALLENGE
“The motivation is extremely high, but we also need the awareness to manage certain moments of the game. These are not exams, they are matches that allow us to compete at a high level, in a different but equally fascinating competition. We are in good shape and fully focused on tomorrow night’s match, because these games must serve to help us grow and continue working with pride. Measuring ourselves against a team of this level is an important opportunity for us.”
