PRESS ROOM | Nicola after Torino-Cagliari
Coach Nicola commented on the 2-0 defeat against Torino at the Olimpico Grande Torino. The words of the Rossoblù coach to the media.
ON THE MATCH
Here’s the translation:
“I agree with the assessment of a tired team, stretched out, not at its best. We’ve spent a lot physically and mentally, and we are trying, when possible, to give someone a rest, but today we didn’t have the right aggression or sharpness. We need this three-day break to recover energy and prepare for the next match. Torino were better today, they played better, and we lost because we reached a level of energy that wasn’t sufficient. The four changes all at once? On the wings, Felici and Zortea, and we sometimes adapted Augello. Zappa has been playing a lot, Luvumbo has been out for some time, and it’s understandable to be a bit struggling after five days since the last match. We don’t have many alternatives at the moment, but the players gave their all today, and sometimes, in such a competitive and tough league, it’s normal to pay the price. But I can’t blame the players for anything. We couldn’t apply pressure or maintain numerical equality, and we couldn’t counter-attack, but I’d say everyone was struggling today after the great effort in the past three games. We need to recover and bounce back. Struggles up front? I’d say Torino had two very physical and aggressive defenders today, along with other strong elements. It wasn’t easy for the strikers today, especially if you’re not physically at your best. We didn’t play the game we wanted to play, and we know that.”
LACK OF EFFECTIVENESS, A LOT OF FATIGUE
“There are alternatives, but right now we’re a bit limited, especially on the wings without Luvumbo, who we hope to get back soon. Sometimes we adapted Augello, but the same goes for Zappa. In the middle, we have more resources, but if you’re not at your peak energy, you pay the price. Today, we struggled because of this, not because there was a lack of effort or the right attitude. The spirit wasn’t missing, but the right physical level was. Torino deserves credit, today we were the more tired team after three matches where we expended a lot of energy. We are trying to give some players a chance to recover, but overall, we paid the price physically. I expected Torino to be like this; they have certain qualities, I’m not surprised. What surprised me more were the difficulties we’ve encountered so far. I would have made the exact same choices, I don’t change my mind in hindsight. Was I angry? I was agitated, as is normal when you’re struggling, I try to help the players because I could see they weren’t able to give everything they wanted. Zappa today seemed to be struggling, the same goes for the wide players. We adapted Augello, but with him as a high winger, you need perhaps two strong physical strikers, like when we put Pavoletti and Piccoli together.”
HEAD FOCUSED ON LAZIO
“It will be a great match, competitive, and we’ll have to be ready. I’m convinced we won’t fall short. Regardless of the opponent, we have our own idea, and we try to carry it forward. What matters is being at our best, and today we weren’t able to do that. I never make excuses, you know me, credit to Torino, but the applause from our fans despite the defeat, after the match, tells me that our attitude was right and appreciated. The heart was there, and I saw it, but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough.”
