PRESS ROOM | Coach Pisacane after the match

Cagliari coach Fabio Pisacane analyzes the 3-2 victory over Atalanta at the Unipol Domus. Below are his comments from the stadium with the media present.

A VICTORY OF HEART AND CHARACTER
“I felt the same emotions today as always. This team is young, and it’s normal for them to be inconsistent and make mistakes. We’ve paid dearly for our mistakes at times; today we needed an epic, high-level performance like against other great teams. Without heart, you get nowhere; Cagliari’s history teaches us that. Today we put in a lot of effort, apart from a moment of blackout that led to the equalizer, but responding like this and winning is worth a lot.”

THE RACE TO SUPPORT THE LEAGUE
“We’ve had a concrete goal since July 10th: to stay up. I’ve always said we have everything in our hands, and today it showed. At times we lost our composure, but now we’re ahead with a good lead. We need to consolidate and give our all from here until the end. Games like today’s restore our confidence and serenity after the difficulties, which are part of the journey.”

GROWTH THROUGH MISTAKES AND DIFFICULTIES
“Growth also comes from defeats and negative matches, like the one in Pisa, which tarnished our progress a bit. These guys have always worked hard for their jersey: making mistakes is human, but the important thing is not to persevere and grow through them. We’ve never given up, despite so many injuries and difficulties.”

THE YOUTH PROJECT
“We don’t launch young players just for the sake of it, but out of conviction. We’ve played with players who may not yet be fully ready for the big step, but this project has never wavered. With so many young players and so many injuries, it’s normal to have inconsistencies, but we’re working to improve. I’ve developed my skills with young players, and I must continue along this path in this project in which we all strongly believe.”

MENDY E IL SUO PERCORSO
“Mendy? Se non avesse messo sempre sudore e voglia non sarebbe andato in campo. Oggi me lo aspettavo in una grande prova, magari non con due gol. Deve rimanere con i piedi per terra. A Milano era stato criticato, oggi viene esaltato: bisogna riflettere su questo. I giovani non vanno né bastonati al primo errore né incensati subito. Dietro il suo percorso c’è anche il lavoro della società, di chi lo ha scoperto e cresciuto. È un ragazzo che attraverso il calcio sta ribaltando il proprio destino. I complimenti vanno a Roberto Muzzi che ci ha creduto sin dal primo giorno in cui è arrivato qui, sicuramente più di me; a Marco Mancosu che lo ha allenato nella scorsa stagione, al direttore sportivo del Settore Giovanile Pierluigi Carta, a Bernardo Mereu e Oscar Erriu, tutto il Club che lavora in un certo modo nel vivaio e in Prima squadra”.

THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE TEAM
“For a first-year coach, building a connection with the team is crucial. I have a lot of young players, some of them former teammates: you have to be tactful, knowing when to raise your voice and when not to. If you see cohesion today, it means I’ve made fewer mistakes than I have done well. Together, we’re building something new and challenging.”

LE SCELTE TECNICHE: PALESTRA E ADOPO
“La scelta su Palestra è stata tecnica: pensavamo a una partita con tante corse e transizioni. Sembrava che il Cagliari fosse dipendente da lui, ma è il Cagliari che lo ha messo nelle condizioni di emergere. Sono felice per lui, ma questa squadra ha tanti valori. Adopo? Da lui mi aspetto prestazioni come quella di oggi. A volte l’ho martellato perché so cosa può dare”.

A TEAM THAT REACTS
“I’m happy that today we broke a negative pattern of conceding goals early in the half, in the first or second. When certain things happen again, you have to analyze and work. However, the team remained focused throughout, and today they achieved great satisfaction.”

A VICTORY FOR THE RED AND BLUE PEOPLE
“I dedicate this victory to all the red and blue people, who I feel are mine. These people are now my family: my wife, my children, and all those who love Cagliari; this dedication is for them. I’ve been here for eleven years, and I will always fight for these colors until the very end.”

PERSONAL EMOTIONS AND CAREER
“For me, Cagliari is like my wife; I try not to disappoint this team. That’s why I was so nervous at the end. The most important match of my career? No, it remains the one against Cremonese. At that moment, I was more afraid of losing confidence; it was a watershed match. I’m proud of how I handled that period.”

THE FUTURE
“I don’t think about it. I have a mission to accomplish with this group. I know it’s a great responsibility, but I’ve always believed that by working honestly and sincerely, we’d be on the right path. Let’s continue to the end with our goal.”