First Team

This morning in the press room at Orogel Stadium-Dino Manuzzi, coach Alessandro Diamanti previewed the Cesena FC vs. UC Sampdoria match, part of Matchday 1 of the 2026/27 Serie BKT season and scheduled for Sunday, August 23, at 9:00 p.m. at Orogel Stadium-Dino Manuzzi.

“The vibe is extremely positive. Clearly, we can’t wait to get started—starting with the players—but I think pretty much everyone involved is eager to get going. The match against Sassuolo was an important one for us, a significant test, because we saw that we can compete with anyone. We’re not focusing on the result, but on the attitude we showed—and it was an important one: we created plenty of chances against a Serie A opponent. As will be the case all year long, we’ve identified and analyzed what went right and what went wrong; now we need to fix the mistakes and build on the positives. This will be the approach that I, my staff, and the players will take all year long. Play, give it your all, make the necessary adjustments, and then start over.”

“What did I ask of the team for this game? It’s not that I ask for anything specific before the game, but I ask for what I want to see every day in practice. I ask them to do what we’ve been practicing—what they know how to do—and I ask them to believe in what they’re doing. They’ve shown me they’re good at doing the things we’re practicing, so we need to do them. Tomorrow we can’t wait to play in front of our fans, in our stadium, because the atmosphere will be amazing. Honestly, our fans will push us on, and the players and I can’t wait for tomorrow. We’re in for a really great game; the season is finally starting, and there will be plenty of excitement: in the end, that’s what soccer is all about, and that’s why we’re here.”

“I’m a humble person, but I can say that our team will have spirit, because these are smart guys who work hard. We train competitively all week long, starting with training camp, and they’re used to battling it out. Team spirit will never be lacking—and, in the end, that’s the most beautiful quality a team must have. Then there are ideas, technique, tactics, and strategies, but when you have team spirit, no tactic can hold a candle to it. This is something we care deeply about—I personally care deeply about it: many people remember me as a technical player; they remember my left foot, but everyone who’s played with me or coached me remembers my fighting spirit. This is something I’ve been instilling in the players from day one, but I saw right away that they already have that fighting spirit in their blood, because they’re decent people and it’s very easy to work with them.”

“How will it end tomorrow? The only thing I know—and am certain of—is that there will be plenty of excitement. After five or six years, I’m returning to a major stadium, with passionate fans who were the reason I chose Cesena. The fans, the atmosphere, the passion… On that note, I always say: results are important, but the emotions in soccer are even more so.”

“The fans are soccer; they give me energy, and I need a lot of energy. I needed it as a player, and I need it even more today as a coach, because you’re not the star—the players are the stars. You’ll see me very often under the stands, and that’s normal, because I like to share my passion with the fans.”

The full press conference is available on the YouTube channel of Cesena FC: