At the end of the match against US Avellino, Coach Alessandro Diamanti went to the press room at Orogel Stadium-Dino Manuzzi to answer questions from the journalists in attendance.
“The change in formation was forced because both wingers had cramps, so I couldn’t keep them on the field. They’d been asking me to substitute them for three or four minutes already. I think drawing with Avellino is a credit to us, not a demerit. I congratulated the team because they played like men and put in an important performance. We’re at a point where we need to shoot four times at the goal line just to score, while they put it into the top corner with their weaker foot. Tomorrow we’ll rest, and starting Tuesday, we’ll keep our heads down and keep pushing.»
«Did several players have cramps? Yes, they did because they pushed as hard as they needed to, so it’s normal. D’Andrea hasn’t played consistently in years, and Fiori hasn’t played much either. Ours is a process in which we need to build. We’re pushing the guys; they’re performing well, but they need to perform even better, and the work during the week needs to help them earn playing time. But to be honest, I’m very happy with the performance—I’m really happy.”
“As soon as I walked into the locker room, I said, ‘Keep your heads up,’ because the first one to hang his head, I’ll kick him out. Keep your heads up. When a team gives it their all, you always have to keep your head up. Then we’ll sort things out, talk it over, analyze the game, and starting tomorrow, we’ll move forward with our heads held high. When you give it your all, when you do everything in your power, keep your head up. It’s a principle not just in soccer, but in life. Then there’s also credit to the opponent, who dominated us for seven or eight minutes, and at that point, if we hadn’t kept a clean sheet, I don’t know how the game would have ended. However, I’ll say it again, I’m not here to say “if…” or “but…”; nevertheless, we have to acknowledge our opponents, and our analysis must be serious and clear-headed: let’s remember that Avellino won in Modena, held Palermo to a draw, and beat Sampdoria.”
“I stand by every single one of my players, because I know what they give me—from the moment they arrive at the training center until they leave, every single day. How they conduct themselves in the locker room and how they act as professionals in everything we do. So I’m going to keep moving forward on my own path, but with my head held high, with the peace of mind that comes from doing this job. Victory will come—100 percent, victory will come. I don’t know when, but as soon as possible. We wanted to win today; the guys wanted to win—they felt it—because, even though I wasn’t there, it’s been a long time since we’ve had a home win. It matters to us, and our fans were spectacular again today. Victory will come; I’m sure of it.”
The full press conference is available on the official YouTube channel of Cesena FC:
