PRESS ROOM | Ranieri after Monza-Cagliari
Claudio Ranieri speaks thus after Cagliari’s defeat at Monza.
REGRET AND PRIDE
“We did what we had to do, it’s logical that once in a disadvantage thanks to a beautiful free kick we had to try to do more, I’m sorry to lose but I can’t reproach the boys for the attitude they put on the field. We had prepared well, we lacked a little something extra that we often have at key moments, but I have nothing to say to my players. This defeat shifts zero, we know that we have to play every game with great motivation and attention, that there will be a fight to the last, so let’s go ahead and fight as we have always done, with great realism and awareness of who we are and who our opponents are”.
RIGHT ATTITUDE
“I don’t think anything in particular was missing today, the lads gave their all, we have to recover a few injuries, we hope to recover the three injured players today (Mina, Gaetano, Luvumbo) as soon as possible, but what matters is that this group never gives up and will not do so until the last moment, regardless of who is on the pitch. Cagliari played a match of discipline and suffering, then Monza, who have quality, found an extraordinary goal that shifted the balance, congratulations to them and to Maldini in particular”.
CHOICES
“I changed Makoumbou at half-time because he was not at his best these days and I knew he could not make his usual contribution. Gaetano, Luvumbo and Mina were certainly missed. Players who give us unpredictability are always precious, but I never want to talk about the absentees, we go back to training and we count on having back many of those who were not present today”.
THE SALVATION PATH
“I am not disappointed, I am satisfied with my team’s performance and I look forward. Let’s put the negative words out of our heads and just think about the daily work, and the sacrifice it takes to achieve salvation. The boys are disappointed but I congratulated them. We were up against a team that knows how to play good football, let’s not forget that and let’s give credit to Monza and Palladino. We made some mistakes but I can’t reproach these guys for anything. I have always said that we will be saved, eventually, only on the last day. Let’s not sin with euphoria after pulling our heads out of the water. The break? It comes at the best time to try to work and recover the best condition”.
WITH A PEOPLE BEHIND
“Our fans should be thanked every moment, I hope the team satisfied them for the spirit they put in from the first to the last minute. We wanted to give a great performance to make our people feel – the many fans present here in Monza were as warm today as they do every day everywhere in the world – unfortunately the result didn’t come and we’re sorry we weren’t able to give them joy. But the best thing we can do is to continue to fight and suffer all together, we will save ourselves match after match, the one who will prevail will have more heart, head and serenity, and also unity of purpose between team, club, environment: I am convinced that all together we will make it. Let’s put our minds on Hellas Verona, after the break: they are doing well, even under particular conditions given that they almost had to revolutionise the team in January”.
