PRESS ROOM | Coach Pisacane after Cremonese-Cagliari

Rossoblù coach Fabio Pisacane met with the media following the comeback draw against Cremonese. These are his words:

ON THE MATCH
We had prepared a game plan, then we found ourselves behind: credit to Cremonese, who played a spirited game, but credit also to us, who had 21 shots on target, without giving up, playing with our ideas. Well done to the lads, we’ll keep going like this, working on what didn’t work, as always. In the first half of the game, we were too soft in the tackles, it seemed like we were moving at a slower pace than today’s match required. Looking back, however, I would do it all again because you always do everything with consistency and conscience, talking about it afterwards makes no sense. Unfortunately, we had Kilicsoy recovering from a knock in training and we had to manage him, as well as Esposito, who was injured after the Milan match. The immediate disadvantage forced us to change what we had prepared for today. Coming here and going two goals down in the first half is not easy: Cremonese has always picked up points at home, apart from against the big teams, today we changed our system at a certain point to recover and we deservedly did so. Not taking home even one point would have given us great results. Bitterness, let’s start from here and from everything we’ve done and shown on the field. Losing wouldn’t have done our boys justice.”

THE MERITS OF THE ENTIRE YOUTH SECTOR
Congratulations to Trepy, but also to everyone working in the youth academy. They are so many talented, competent people who work for the club with dedication and professionalism. I’m thinking of the work of Erriu, Carta, Mereu, and all the coaches who have come and gone over the years. Trepy has been through other people before me, and they taught him the values: respect, discipline, technical and tactical quality. It’s everyone’s work, and today it’s bearing significant fruit. Seeing a young player score on his Serie A debut, and a goal like that, is a victory for the entire youth academy. Today, we also had Obert and Luvumbo on the pitch from the youth academy, and on the bench were Idrissi, Pintus, Ciocci, Cavuoti, and Liteta—all our players, and we want to build on them.

MISTER NICOLA AND CREMONA
“Davide is someone I love. I met him years ago as a teammate and then as a coach. I knew I had to come here to fight. He’s part of these games. I’m pleased he had kind words for me and to see him on the pitch again. I’m happy my team had a certain attitude and showed their ideas and qualities even in difficult situations. Returning to Cremona was a thrill: I played here at 20, and I’m back as a coach. A lot has changed here now, almost everything. I’m pleased that Cremonese has grown and I wish the whole team the best.”

THE DEFENSE
“I don’t think it’s a problem having three such strong defenders to use: Yerry is coming off a strong two weeks of work. On the pitch, he makes mistakes like everyone else; it’s part of the game. We work on imperfections; I don’t crucify Mina like anyone else; Yerry was ready to play today. We’ll work on what didn’t work, as we always do. What happened in the end with Luperto? Nothing in particular; I want him to lead the team, and in that situation, Palestra had moved ahead. I’m sorry that certain rumors have been circulating about Lupo in recent days; he’s an important, strong player, and we’re holding onto him. We talk openly with him—as with everyone else—and Luperto is a sure thing for us.”

ON CHOICES
We need to build on the points we gained in the first half of the season, on what we’ve done so far, on our DNA, which is that of never giving up. We’ll have to build on this attitude starting in Genoa. What are our moves on the fly? I’m honored if you compare me to Coach Ranieri at this juncture. Thank you, because he’s a king to me. Unfortunately, you always judge based on the result: what would you have said if we’d lost, with Mina making a mistake and perhaps Trepy coming on and not making an impact? Last week, I could have brought on Trepy, but then I preferred Pavoletti: you make decisions, everyone is useful at different times. We have an important match in a few days: we’re short in midfield, we waited for Mazzitelli, and he’s repaying us with what we knew he could give us with his qualities. He’s also been included in the rotation, and we’re even happier now.

THE TARGET
“Playing Sardinia in Serie A is something important. We must work every day to defend this goal because Cagliari has a huge history, and right now I’m just a tiny part of it. Winning the Coppa Italia Primavera meant something important to me: today, the Under-20 championship is something significant in football, it can be compared to Serie C, already the football of the big boys. I believe that the path taken by myself, Chivu, Cuesta, and other young coaches is an important one to follow.”

A THOUGHTS FOR GIANLUCA
“What happened to my brother Gianluca shook me, without a doubt. He fought for his life. After getting over the shock, I tried to stay clear-headed. My thoughts were with Gianluca, but at the same time, I couldn’t leave the team alone. Tonight, I’m happy to have given him a little joy, too.”