Collecchio, 30 September 2023 - Crociato coach, Fabio Pecchia’s comments during the pre-match press conference in the press room of the Mutti Training Center in Collecchio.
AGAINST HIS FORMER TEAM
“I am happy to return, to see so many people again, from whom I asked a lot and they gave me a lot. We exchanged many things, nice, a great feeling. A match within a match. But when the referee blows his whistle, all we can think about is the match happening on the pitch. Our teams have an opposite philosophy, our team is even younger than last season, whilst their team is very mature. It gives you something, but it also takes away something else. We have to take our characteristics and qualities into account. We will encounter a good atmosphere, a stadium that pushes its players but on the pitch, we must only think about playing the game. Without compromising ourselves but also taking our opponents into account.
CREMONESE: FROM A CHILD TO A MATURE MAN
“We’re facing a big team in the league, experts, totally different from what from the team I took on. If we want to make a comparison, the Cremonese I took on was a child that grew up and developed with that historic promotion. Now it is a team with experienced players who have played in Serie A, this gives players a lot. We will face a difficult game, a real test of strength. What has been in the league so far is of value up to a certain point, good results but we are constantly raising the bar. We’re not even a fifth of the way through the championship yet so it is too early to to make any assessments. Who would I take from Cremonese? I know almost all of them, I would take Castagnetti. He’s from Parma, he grew up in these lands.”
MATCH PREPARATION
“We still have a few hours to prepare for the match, I’m happy that we have a squad in good fitness, I’ll have to make some changes on the basis of the type of game and opponent. Colak played very well, he and Bonny are totally different and have totally different characteristics. Rotation? I don’t like this word very much, I prefer to talk about managing resources. With Bari, choices were made to play and win that match, on Sunday, choices will be made for Sunday’s match. I will take into account the physical and mental energy used. The management of the game, the team must step up and continue to raise the bar. We play in Serie B, there are points where the opponents take control. At a certain point, Bari had us on the ropes, we have to know how to sacrifice out of possession, with spirit, with desire, with humility. And we did it very well. The championship will force us to play dirty games, games of sacrifice, we will have to be good at knowing how to suffer. On Sunday we face a team with big names and all together, in those moments, we will have to work well.”
FRANCO VAZQUEZ
“The boys know him best, he played for two years with some of them. It will depend on how we handle the ball. Talking about last year seems almost out of place. But about France, I can say that he gave me a lot, beyond just the numbers. I asked a lot of him, in the middle of the pitch, he played as a forward, as a Trequartista, and on the pitch, he always gave me everything he could. And whilst the boys are doing what we can see, Franco’s work is part of that. I’m grateful to him, he gave me a great hand in the job, and he was a true professional, in terms of level and quality. Everyone is divided but I can only speak well of Franco.”
