Collecchio, 30 August 2024 – The words of Fabio Pecchia, made to the Club’s official channels (Facebook and YouTube) on the eve of the Serie A Matchday 3 fixture against Napoli, in the Press Room at the Mutti Training Center in Collecchio.

FREE SPIRIT AND LIGHT SOUL

‘What spirit will we bring to Saturday’s match? The concept of a light soul should be our trademark. We’re at the start of the season and must continue with the same mindset throughout the campaign. Saturday will be an important challenge. We’re facing a team, like AC Milan, that is very strong and was celebrating the Scudetto just a few months ago. Fourteen months ago, this group experienced extraordinary emotions. I know what it means to win a Scudetto in Naples. To take on this kind of team, the entire environment, and the Stadio San Paolo-Maradona, the team will need to deliver a performance worthy of such a phenomenal setting. And we must attack intelligently, just as they do'.

IMPORTANT TEST

‘This is once again a great test. Beyond the allure of a great team, the players, and the new arrivals, there is also the allure of a grand stadium. My players need to want to experience this match, feel these emotions, and approach the game with great spirit, enjoy it, and then, from the whistle, focus solely on what happens on the pitch.’

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL ENERGY

'A Parma full of energy? We need energy for every match. AC Milan drained a lot of our energy, which we had to recover to face another game that demands both physical and, above all, mental strength. Osorio and Charpentier have recovered quite well, while Estévez will remain sidelined. The team is in good shape, Almqvist and Cancellieri have also improved, and each training session brings something extra from them. Leoni will also be available on Saturday, and the group is ready to go'.

THE EMBRACE WITH THE FANS

'The embrace with the fans during the ‘Andiamo al Parma’ event last Wednesday? It was a very special and fantastic day because there was an extraordinary presence of many children, young people, and families, and it was wonderful to share that moment with my young players and all those fans at the stadium. It was a joyful and emotional day, we need enthusiasm, and seeing it around us, among the people, can only be a great boost'.

MATCH OF THE HEART

'If the game against Napoli is the match of the heart for me? The match of the heart will be when I play against Lenola. That said, Napoli has been, both as a player and as a coach with Rafa, a city, not just a Club, that has given me a lot. I feel Napoli inside me'.