At the press room of the Orogel Stadium-Dino Manuzzi on Friday, September 4, Sports Director Andrea Mancini held the usual post-transfer window press conference, answering questions from the journalists in attendance.

“The transfer window has certainly given us a younger Cesena, because I think it’s clear to everyone that the team has been rejuvenated. We’ve made a lot of changes, so it will take time, but I’m satisfied with what’s been done in terms of both incoming and outgoing transfers. We’ve achieved certain goals we set out to achieve, and perhaps not others, but that’s just how the transfer market works; however, both I and the coaching staff are very satisfied.”

“During my introductory press conference, I made one thing very clear: Cesena wouldn’t need to sell—and, above all, wouldn’t need to sell off players at a loss. Shpendi was a player we knew could be attractive on the transfer market, because over the last two seasons he’s managed to score in double digits in Serie B—and we’re talking about a player born in 2003. The press reported that a deal with Cremonese had been finalized, but the transfer was never actually completed. Sure, there were ongoing discussions, but we set a very clear valuation for Shpendi, and no team ever came forward with an offer matching our asking price. We’re absolutely thrilled that Cristian has stayed, because personally, I consider him the best striker in Serie B—which means we’re starting off with an advantage. Cristian is happy to stay, and we’re happy to keep him here.”

“I don’t like to talk about numbers, but the task we were asked to do has been accomplished: namely, lowering the average age of the squad and reducing the payroll. Cristian certainly accounts for a significant portion of our payroll, but why should I have to sell off my best player — and the best striker in Serie B — at a discount? For me, that wasn’t the right solution, because I’m convinced that Cristian will score many more goals and reach double digits again this year; then we’ll see what happens. Certainly, our plan — which has already been communicated to his agents and to the player himself — is to sit down and discuss a contract extension.”

“I think the coach has already proven that, in a short time, he’s been able to give a strong identity to a team that came from a totally different style of play. It’s not easy to instill the identity that the coach has instilled in just a month and a half. Furthermore, in my opinion, players were signed following a clear strategy, and these are young players who can be valuable in the future. As I said before, I’m satisfied with the work that’s been done and with the opportunity the club has given me to carry out my duties.”

“For the future, the vision we share with the owners is the same one we’ve stated since the start of the season: to build a self-sustaining club with young players who have a future, laying the groundwork for a sustainable project. The direction is clear, and this is it. Then, as I’ve always said — and as I also tell the owners — a sustainable project certainly isn’t built overnight; it takes years, during which we’ll also face tough times and defeats. Because we mustn’t forget that this is also part of soccer: in this sport, you learn more from defeats and difficult moments than from the good ones.”

“Zamagni’s transfer? The young man was evaluated during training camp with the first team, and we had a clear idea about him. Zamagni was offered a contract extension, and it takes two to make a deal. He had the opportunity to go to Como and explicitly asked us to let him go, that’s the truth. We, of course, tried to get the most out of a deal involving a player who, in six months, could have become a free agent and signed with anyone for free.”

“The transfer market always has its challenges, and sometimes you have to make choices. However, of the twelve players who arrived, it seems to me that only three are on loans without an option to buy. All the others are on loans with an obligation to buy or on loans with an option to buy, which means that Cesena still retains an option on them: if the player performs well, then we’ll see what happens. I’ll say it again: during the transfer window, you also have to make choices, and this season there simply wasn’t enough time to plan many things, since I arrived here in mid-June. From this perspective, next season will certainly be different, because we’ll have a full year to plan and strategize our moves more effectively.”

The full press conference with the Bianconeri’s sporting director is available on the YouTube channel of Cesena FC: