PRESS ROOM | Gaetano with the media

Quantità e qualità al servizio dei compagni: il centrocampista rossoblù Gianluca Gaetano è stato tra gli assoluti protagonisti della vittoria contro l’Atalanta all’Unipol Domus. Queste le sue parole al termine dell’incontro:

A TEAM WIN
“We had prepared for the match this way: in the first half, we really played it great, but it’s a shame about the ten-minute blackout that cost us two goals. However, we did well to come back and score the third goal, defending our lead as a team until the end. It’s a very important victory, not the first against a big team in our league: here at home, we’d already beaten Juventus and Roma. We put our heart and soul into it. We did well to bring home the victory as a united and compact group.”

UNIPOL DOMUS’S FACTOR
“Overall, we played a great game, with a lot of aggression. It was an exciting match, a rollercoaster of positive and decidedly less positive emotions for us, considering the two goals we gave away. Kudos to our fans: they pushed us to this victory, especially towards the end of the game. It was hard to even feel like we were among our teammates, such was the enthusiasm coming from the stands. Our fans were crucial; we thank them so much for the support they’ve given us today and always.”

CONGRATS, PAUL!
Mendy also did well, making sure he was ready for his first start. It’s never easy. What did we say to him when he got back to the locker room? We gave him a beer and water bath. Paul is a shy, reserved boy, but on the pitch he showed great qualities again today. The first day he trained with us since the U20s, I told him straight away that I saw great potential in him. He’s talented and can become a very strong striker. He needs to continue like this and gain experience. The future is on his side, congratulations. He has all the qualities to play in Serie A.

GAETANO AS A PLAYMAKER
This is the role that best suits my characteristics; it’s the one I’ve wanted to play for a long time. The coach was good; we agreed on the move together, but it took time: first of all, I had to get back into top physical shape after this summer’s knee surgery, which prevented me from starting pre-season training with the team. This season, I played as a playmaker for the first time against Juventus; it went well, and from there, we started this journey. I like being in the thick of the action, touching the ball a lot. But it takes time and patience: in addition to technique, you need structure, defensive focus, a lot of running; you have to be both. I’m improving, my confidence in my abilities is growing, but I still think I have room for improvement. I’m still missing a few goals, but I think that—even starting from further back—they can come, perhaps by shooting more from outside the box.”

A SPECIAL DEDICATION
“The duel with Pasalic? Beautiful and stimulating. Playing against these players is always a pleasure. I held my ground well, I’m very happy with today’s performance. I work hard during the week to always try to improve. Today I saw proof that hard work pays off. A dedication? To my family: my wife, my children. They support me every day, they understand my difficulties when, for example, I come home and a training session or a match hasn’t gone as I hoped. Thank you so much for your support.”

TOWARDS THE GOAL
“This is a very important victory, against a great team, just as we’ve had this season. An eight-point advantage over the third-bottom team is certainly important, but with four games left in the season, we can’t rest easy. We must continue to do our job to reach our goal: football is unpredictable, we can’t let our guard down, we know that. That’s why, starting next week, we’ll have to give it our all to try and bring home points. The math isn’t there; we have to keep working.”