PRESS ROOM | Nicola after Cagliari-Parma
These are the words of Davide Nicola to the media after the 2-1 home victory against Parma. The Rossoblù coach analyzed the match and the team’s current moment.
THE MATCH
A game that counts double? In football, it’s often said like this, but the points are always 3. It’s really important that we got them, we’ve made a step forward, but now we move straight ahead to the next match in our race, in Bergamo. Coman? Florinel came with the right mentality, he knows how to manage the ball, and he hadn’t played a match in a while. He’s been working hard with us, and today we wanted to give him some minutes. He came on with the right attitude and scored a beautiful goal from a technical perspective. We didn’t concede much; we’re working on that. We know we have a good level of play, but we need to improve the balance between the two phases of the game. Today we faced a fast and quality Parma team that counterattacks well. We built the victory throughout the match, trying to give them as little space as possible and conceding little. Winning today wasn’t a given, but we’re happy and now thinking about Atalanta.
CAGLIARI PROACTIVE
“We always try to play to achieve the result. We know that against the big teams, you have to be perfect and create opportunities, because at this level, it’s hard for the others to score on their own. We know how strong Atalanta is, but it will be very motivating to try again, just like we did in the first leg, maybe with a different outcome. The relegation battle is always complicated, and it will remain so until the end. Everyone can put any opponent in difficulty. We focus on the journey with happiness for today, but without forgetting the objective. Sometimes, certain matches are labeled as decisive and must-win, but these are considerations on their own. You always go onto the field by preparing a game plan and trying to execute it.”
COMAN’S GOAL
“We are satisfied with Coman’s debut. He came on well. He needs calm and patience, without overloading him with work and expectations, giving him gradual space. He loves playing on the left to cut inside, as he is naturally a forward, so he sees the goal when playing as a second striker. He can play various roles, both as a winger and in the forward line. We are also waiting for Luvumbo to provide more options on the wings, as well as for the rest of the group with the various rotations. The relegation battle involves many teams, and the team in third-to-last place has quite a few points. It will be tough until the end.”
THE SUPPORT OF THE FANS
“Our fans have been extraordinary. Today, for the first time, I also saw a wonderful choreography, and it really moved me. The stadium pushed us, but above all, our people showed patience in waiting for the moment with us. So, congratulations to the fans and congratulations to the players.”
VERSO BERGAMO
“We must not lower our focus; we are heading to Bergamo for a very difficult and stimulating match. In a league, calculations matter to a certain extent, but you always have to be good at producing both play and points against anyone, not just in direct confrontations. Today, we played with attention and intelligence. This team has always had humility and the desire to give something extra; it has a clear identity and many solutions that we are trying to develop as best as possible, both offensively and defensively, with the courage to try and seek one-on-one situations as much as possible. I like to have a high defensive line, while respecting the opponent, but it’s not always possible, even though I believe we are working well in that direction with rationality. I hoped for a goal from Adopo because I like it when everyone scores, and still, Ndary and Makoumbou haven’t scored. When Coman scored, I exploded with joy because it was an important goal to extend our lead in the match.”
