PRESS ROOM | Pisacane after Cagliari-Genoa

Coach Fabio Pisacane analyzed Unipol Domus’s draw against Genoa to the media. These are his words:

SADNESS
“There’s bitterness. We can’t give away goals like the first two we conceded, especially in a direct match. It’s my fault; we’ll have to work harder. I’d also add the chances where Caprile made a great save and then Luperto intervened with his backheel. A team like ours, fighting for our objective, can’t lose certain duels in the final twenty meters. On the positive side, Borrelli’s brace, his first in Serie A, and Esposito’s goal, are certainly important. Goals for attackers are very important, we know that. And this gives us hope for the future. Then there’s the reaction: after being down twice, we were always able to come back and even take the lead. It’s a shame. Although, looking at the match as a whole, a draw might be the fairer result.”

WORKING TO CORRECT ERRORS
We conceded the first goal with a fully deployed defense, the goal stemming from an individual error. The second came from a set piece; some players were moving up to raise their center of gravity, and we were caught out on a forty-meter diagonal pass. You can’t concede goals in a situation like that. We need to work harder to raise the bar and try to concede as little as possible. Then, however, there are the opponents, an individual error. These are incidents. The reaction to the goals conceded was that of a team determined to achieve its objective. But you have to add more to this spirit. That’s why there’s bitterness: this team has always remained in the game in the first twelve games. And that’s a virtue for those playing to avoid relegation. But from here on out, I hope something else is added, that something that allows you to take the three points. It takes a different kind of ferocity, especially when you play these games. The opponent can’t get into the penalty area too easily, so there’s something to report. Today we’re only half satisfied: we didn’t win a direct match, but we’re still moving up the table.

APPLAUSE FOR CAPRILE
“The third goal conceded? I don’t judge that, it’s not a factor; these are incidents that are part of this sport. Even top players make mistakes, and Elia is one of them, for us, given what he’s doing in this championship. I joked with him; I also made a gross mistake under the North Stand that cost me a goal. And I also received a long round of applause. That said, in these first twelve games, Elia has definitely given us much more than he was able to take away today.”

TO THE GOAL
We’re above the red zone, the standings are in line. I hope we can maintain this margin at the end of the season. We know our goal and the difficulties of Serie A. Winning shouldn’t be an obsession, I said so on the eve of the match. In the first twenty minutes, however, this state of mind may have affected us. The fans pay for tickets, they can applaud or boo, it’s their right. They are the beating heart of the club. But if you want to play for Cagliari, in Serie A, you can’t let the grumbling get to you. We’re professionals, and if we want to do it at a certain level, we also need to have the personality and serenity to accept it.

CAGLIARI IS GROWING
We wanted to dictate the pace, even when we weren’t in possession. We started with a 4-2-3-1 formation, then adapted to their 3-5-2 man-marking formation, bringing the opposing full-back inside and leaving their fifth man isolated. However, we realized that with the front line, we were struggling to break through to Vitinha or Colombo, who were coming to free themselves between the lines. So after twenty minutes, we made a change, dropping Felici and bringing Zappa inside. To better cover the pitch, we changed our formation and thus limited Genoa. Do we make frequent changes? I wouldn’t say so today: nine of the eleven players had also been on the pitch against Como. Generally, when we make changes, it’s to put the players in a position to gain advantages. Today, we wanted to play a more attacking game: Obert and Gaetano made way for an additional striker, Borrelli, and a midfielder with the ability to get into the box like Deiola. We’re a young team, and sometimes you pay for our solidity, but that’s normal; it’s part of our journey.

NEW INVESTORS IN THE CLUB
“I met Maurizio Fiori when we were in the United States this summer for the TST tournament: something is being done for the good of Cagliari, to make the club even more structured and solid. I’ve been here for eleven years, and I can only be happy about this. Cagliari deserves to go further and further.”