PRESS ROOM | Nicola before Venezia-Cagliari
Davide Nicola, coach of Cagliari, spoke from the press room of the Crai Sport Center before departing for Venice, where on Sunday at 3 PM, the Rossoblù will face the Arancioneroverdi.
IN THE PRESENT
“I’m not thinking about the Venezia-Cagliari match from two years ago. For us, this is a new game, and we’re focusing on it. What matters is the match ahead; we don’t know what we’ll achieve, but we know we’ll give our best. I like how the team is performing, but we’re also aware that there’s room for improvement. We must not settle but instead approach each week as if it were our last. Every challenge gives you the opportunity to take steps toward your goal, and that’s what matters to me.”
BEFORE THE MATCH
“This team doesn’t need to prove its commitment to the jersey and the city anymore; those are well-established facts demonstrated by actions. The early retreat was necessary due to the need for rest after the away match in Turin, where we returned late at night with little time to recover and prepare. Given the midweek schedule, it was something we needed, and it was a decision freely made by the players. I appreciated it because it further shows how much they care.”
THE MATCH AT “PENZO” STADIUM
“We’re heading to Venice with the awareness that if we play in a certain way, we can be competitive and capitalize on what we create. I have complete faith in these players; I see them every day and am convinced they have the means to fight and achieve our goals. We always play our game—this is how all modern teams think. When a team plays poorly over time, it ends up losing, and playing poorly also means failing to capitalize on what you’ve created. Cagliari is already very good at developing the game, but at certain moments, we need to raise our quality. We know it takes time, probably a lot of time, but we remain very confident.”
BIG FIGHT
“No team at the moment is inferior to the others; this is the most competitive league in the past seven or eight years when it comes to the relegation zone. What’s important is maintaining balance, regardless of the position in the standings, which often fluctuates by just a few points. The refereeing standards? We need to consider that the rules have changed in recent years, as has the speed of the game. That’s why we train for emotional management. Cagliari is undoubtedly an aggressive team; Venezia knows how to create density and counterattack effectively. The difference lies in staying in the game without being influenced by events or their emotional weight. We need to do this while maintaining our aggression because that, too, can make a difference.”
COPPA ITALIA
“In Turin, I liked how we approached the first half; we played with personality, started with the right attitude, and immediately tried to score. The opponent did well to avoid conceding. What happened after the 2-0 scoreline makes it clear that even when you’re trailing, you must always try to shift the momentum of the game. For me, it’s crucial that the players develop the mindset that games are never over. We need to understand that we can never give up and must always maintain the same energy level, because at any moment, you can make a difference and turn the momentum in your favor.”
LE SCELTE
“I never define a tactical choice or the selection of one player over another as final. There are matches where some players have characteristics that are more suited than others. I want a Cagliari that is fully present in the here and now at every moment of the season, because it’s the sum of all the matches that determines the total of what you’ve achieved.”
