PRESS ROOM | Coach Pisacane before Cagliari-Como

Rossoblù coach Fabio Pisacane met with the media in the press room of the CRAI Sport Center to present Saturday’s match against Como. These are his words:

THE UNIPOL DOMUS COMPETITION
We won’t have anyone back for tomorrow. The conditions of those currently sidelined will be assessed day by day. Unfortunately, Mina also missed the match this morning with a calf strain, and he won’t be playing either. His absence won’t impact our tactical decisions; the game plan was already in place: in Parma, for example, we played very well with Rodriguez, Dossena, Zé Pedro, and Obert. Even those who came on played their part. We hope, however, to have Yerry in as many games as possible between now and the end, to be able to recover as quickly as possible and overcome this fatigue. We know how important Yerry is to us. We’ll face Como with the utmost respect, but we want to beat them. We know their strengths, but we also know our own strengths. We’ll be facing a big team. Against these teams, if you want to get results, you have to double, triple your efforts, and have a positive mindset: that’s what can make the difference in key moments, perhaps even turning an incident into your own.”

THE OPPONENT ANALYSIS
The first leg? We already knew Como’s strength, their ideas, the intensity they bring on the pitch. We had established our strategy, which paid off. But tomorrow will be a very different match: we’ll face an opponent even more aware of their strength. Today I consider them to be a top team in the league: everyone knows how they move, but everyone struggles to catch them. Especially in the second third of the pitch, they have a lot of mobility, especially with their three left-backs Paz, Da Cunha, and Perrone, who are kind of the heart of Como. From there, they build the scenarios that allow them to have a very significant offensive threat. I like Como’s approach: they’ve given continuity to the technical project, signing many young players with great quality, obviously also spending a lot to do this. Money, however, only counts up to a certain point: because behind it is the great work Cesc is doing. Today, Como is proving on the pitch, net of how much the club has spent, that they deserve the points they have: they are in the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia, They’re fighting to get into Europe, they’re a loose cannon in our league. Seven years ago they were playing in Serie D, today they’re this: after 28 games they’ve already earned 48 points in Serie A. This can only mean that there’s a really huge amount of work behind it.”

THE RELATIONSHIP WITH FABREGAS
“I have mutual respect for Cesc, we talk often, and we both constantly want to give something to the other. He’s a very humble guy and open to dialogue: I’m close to his philosophy, and we also favor positional football. We’re constantly in touch, and it’s an honor for me: he was a great player and has already made it clear he has a great future in this new role. We haven’t spoken this week; we’re both focused on our own teams, but tomorrow it will be a pleasure to see him again. Energized? I was lucky enough to meet him in Lecce; he’s a spectacular, good guy. I’m happy that today he’s part of a team that’s making so much noise. I wish him the best; he deserves it.

THE CHARGE OF FOLO
“Folorunsho came into Parma very well, bringing energy and freshness. He’s put in an extra week of work, and tomorrow he could be a starting player. He could be in midfield or further forward. It will depend on the match plan; it will be one of the questions I’ll keep until the last minute; he could even start in the heart of midfield. With a physical midfield against their ball handlers, we could have an advantage, but it always depends on your perspective. Our midfield, compared to the first leg, will be different in terms of strength. The difficulties compared to the first leg have certainly not diminished: we will need to be obsessively careful in many situations.”

PALESTRA AND THE ITALIAN TEAM
“I hope Palestra makes it to the national team and then to the World Cup: it would be a victory for everyone. I, the staff, everyone, have given something to Marco. He arrived in a healthy environment, where there are very specific values ​​and expectations. He immediately fell in love with this club; the only regret is having to lose him in June since he’s here on loan.”