PRESS ROOM | The Coach’s words

The Rossoblu coach met with the media after the victory against Cremonese at the Unipol Domus. This is his analysis of the match:

A WINNING STRATEGY
What does this victory mean? We’ve earned three points, but we haven’t achieved our objective yet. We’re happy to have returned to winning ways, and to see the team’s attitude, which allowed them to endure and do everything they can to avoid conceding. It was a complex match: it was hot, we had some players who weren’t in peak physical condition, and the game plan was focused on balancing energy levels throughout the match. I’m thinking of Borrelli and Deiola, who have been sidelined for months, and Mazzitelli himself, who unfortunately had to retire after half an hour with a calf strain. I expected this first half: it wasn’t purely a tactical issue, wanting to wait for the opponent, but rather a desire to reap long-term benefits by optimizing resources. And so it was. Zé Pedro, for example, is a player who is currently in excellent form, but I knew he could have helped us win it today by coming on as a substitute, when others in the squad would inevitably have declined.

GROUP VICTORY
“In the second half, with greater freshness, we scored the goal, we were compact, and we did everything we had planned. If we hadn’t won, I would have been criticized; it’s part of the game. I approached the match calmly, I have a clear conscience, and I’m giving it my all. It’s a responsibility I’ve taken on since day one: every match I feel challenged, especially because I represent a glorious and important team. This requires evaluation, but when you give it your all, you accept it calmly. At the final whistle, I let off all the steam and I’m experiencing the match with great intensity. I’m certain, as I said yesterday, that in the end we’ll triumph.”

THE RIGHT MENTALITY
Yes, today we didn’t have possession. There have been games where we had possession—like against Sassuolo or even against Lazio in Rome—and we lost. Today, we opted for a different strategy: we played a player from their defense, depriving Cremonese of their depth. We had to be good; that would have allowed us to have more players with energy throughout the match. We approached this match with the mentality of a team that wants to achieve its goal. A retreat during the week? Locking yourself up in the training center, on a holiday spent with your families and your children, isn’t nice. But I liked the team: they understood the moment, we all wanted to get out of this situation and get back to winning ways, three points to give to our fans.

ESPOSITO’S GROWTH
“Sebastiano is a talent that needs to be nurtured. Today he scored a superb goal, not just because of his header, but because he understood where the ball could go. I’m very happy for him: I know what he went through when he couldn’t make an impact, he needs to keep going. I know how much he cares about performing well; he’s one of the most talented players in the squad. He sacrifices a lot for the team. He has everything. If he doesn’t settle for less and improves in certain situations, he’ll become even better. He’s a young player, and like all young players, he needs to be supported, even beaten at times, but only for his own good.”

WELCOME BACK, GALLO!
“Today we had our strikers back, Borrelli and Belotti. We had counted on them until last week. Regarding Andrea, I’m disappointed because we lost a player who should have been our star player right at the start of the season. Let’s turn the page; today he’s back. I’m happy to have seen him back on the pitch, first as a man and then as a player, who needs no introduction.”

PERSONALITY AND DESIRE
The championship isn’t over today, and it wouldn’t have ended today even if we’d lost, though obviously even more clouds would have gathered around these guys, who need support, even when they make mistakes. Of course, after eight games without a win, you can’t expect the crowd to roll out the red carpet for you. But at the same time, at a time like this, it’s hard to get the game on your side. We must, in any case, show that personality, the desire to deserve this shirt, which we showed in the second half. Rather than the halftime whistles, which we accept, I’d focus on the applause at the end of the match.

A SPECIAL DEDICATION
There are six games left, six more finals: some games we’ll have to scrape the bottom of the barrel to get the points we can truly achieve, others will be more within reach. We must approach this final rush with the same state of mind we have today at the end of the match. We are a team with many young players, the mental aspect has an impact, as does the physical one: as I said, there are players who have been away from the pitch for months, but that’s who we are, and sometimes we have to make compromises, as was the case today in managing the game. We dedicate the victory to our people, who are always there for us. We are even happier to have done it today, the 11th, a number that is always important here in Cagliari, on the eve of the anniversary of the Scudetto won by those great champions. These three points today make us even more proud.