PRESS ROOM | Pavoletti’s words

Rossoblu captain Leonardo Pavoletti spoke after the match against Roma. Here’s what he said to the media:

FIGHT AS A TEAM
I saw a very strong Roma side. We were perhaps too frenetic; we should have developed the play with more patience, based on what we’d prepared during the week. We were subjected to Roma’s suffocating pressure in the first half, and we lost our composure. The Giallorossi didn’t allow us to develop our playmaking, and we were left breathless. It’s not a painless defeat, because losing is never pleasant. But there are defeats and defeats: it’s important to emphasize that we fought until the end, without ever falling apart. We were always a team. This is a good sign for a team whose objective is to stay up. We’ll start from here to prepare for the match against Lecce: it will be an important match, to be played in front of our home fans.

THE ROAD TO THE GOAL
“We had a bit of a slump in the first leg, but we remained united and compact. This group includes many young players, but also experienced players who know how to cushion the blows. I myself told the media after the defeat against Lazio that patience was needed to allow such an interesting project, with so many young players, to take root. I asked for everyone’s trust: I was convinced that the results would come, thanks in part to a group of strong players—who, however, needed time to develop—and a capable coach. That’s what happened; now we must continue in this direction.”

AN EXTRA WEAPON
“I’m feeling great. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to complete preseason training this year; I was recovering from knee surgery. I found myself halfway through the first half of the season and wasn’t as sharp and ready. Now that I’ve found consistency in training, thanks also to the coach, the staff, and trainer Mauro Baldus, we’ve created a work plan that will allow me to be strong in the match. In this emergency situation, I can be an extra weapon for Cagliari up front. I hope to be effective in the upcoming matches.”

THE CAPTAIN’S EXAMPLE
Semih and I go to the training center together practically every day: he’s teaching me English, and we’ve bonded really well. When he wasn’t playing as well, I tried to stay close to him, to be a bit of a big brother, encouraging him not to give up. Let’s not forget that we’re talking about a boy who came from Turkey: he found himself far from home, without knowing the language. I’m happy that he’s now starting to show in matches what we were already seeing in training. I try to instill in everyone, especially the younger ones, the dedication and spirit of sacrifice that I still have at 38. I’m trying to improve further, and I don’t want to stop doing so. I want to be an example to everyone with actions, not words. There are no secrets in football: the more you train, the better. I want to leave this to the team, since these will probably be my last months on the pitch with them. Lately, I’ve been dreaming of scoring, who knows? I’m training hard and I want to leave my mark this year too. It would be great to finish with a goal that will keep us safe.”