“With more determination and attention than in recent matches we can have our say. We need a positive result and to throw this ball in.” The moment of Bologna it’s all in his coach’s phrase, that Vincenzo Italiano who are looking for fundamental points in the Champions League to continue to hope for the European dream. Opponent of the moment is Lille of the jewels David and Zhegrova, three points up for grabs to raise a ranking – that of the single group of the championship phase – still stuck at one point. Training, ballots and possible returns, all the topics addressed by the rossoblù coach in the press conference on the eve of the match.
“We believe, and we talked about it a lot, in the possibility of filling this box with goals scored, because it honestly bothers us – the Italian himself said in the conference -. We had the opportunity to score some, with clear situations, and tomorrow we want to fill this box box and also obtain the first victory. We have prepared ourselves to obtain this historic success and we want to keep this path alive, from tomorrow we want to start being more effective”.
Pobega’s expulsion affected the last match. What did he say to the boy?
“What happened in Rome heavily penalizes the fate of a match and of the team, the head must always be used, in all situations. I had already told him at the end of the match that I was sorry, for us it is a commandment not to put the team is in difficulty with stupid situations. The boy was sorry, dejected, he made this speech to the team and I’m happy about it, it’s the second time we’ve been in such big trouble it gets tough. But the boy is intelligent, he knows what I’m asking and I’m convinced he will learn the lesson.”
How important is tomorrow’s race?
“Tomorrow is important, there are 4 games left. If the experts are right, that with 7-8-9 points we can go through, we are still in it. Tomorrow will be another mountain to climb but we will try with all our means and with all our will.”
What do you think of Lille and the Bologna group?
“Lille is a team with players of the highest level, strong players. They are doing well in the league, in the Champions League as you all know. It will be a very tough match also because of how they play, they are teams that don’t make calculations. They are aggressive, they bring many men on top the line of the ball. I expect great pace and quality, so we must also raise the level because to compete at certain levels you need a very high level.”
What is Urbanski missing to play more?
“A young boy, a 2004 player who still has a lot to learn. He’s part of our squad and has to fight to win the starting place. When he was called into action he always did his part, but there are many and in the middle there is great choice. He has to push hard to earn his keep.”
How is Skorupski?
“He can play, he had a strong bout of flu that kept him out for three days. Now he’s back, he’s fine and is available.”
Will he do training calculations?
“For me, only tomorrow matters at this moment, even if we have to take into account the great effort we made in Rome. Today someone was still tired, the focus however is only on Lille because we have a great need to perform at our best and get results. Tomorrow we need people who can guarantee intensity and pace because the match requires it.”
Lille are treacherous in front, with Zhegrova and David.
“We have seen some images, what is striking is the great concreteness he has in the last metres. He is a player of great level, but Lille are very dangerous in front. It is a team that proposes and creates, Zhegrovia from the point of view of concreteness, he is a dangerous player who comes onto the pitch and knows how to score goals.”
How is Ndoye? Can he play tomorrow?
“He is recovered, he will use a special shin guard for his problem. Before the stop he was in great condition, even if he worked separately he has minutes in his legs. The problem was in his shin, but I think it is solved, yesterday and today he trained with the team and pushed hard.”
Can Ferguson get minutes?
“I don’t know, it doesn’t depend on the type of match… He also needs to start going strong like he’s doing in training. The match plan in Rome included more minutes for him, unfortunately everything fell through. The only way is to start to throw it in continuously and it will soon be done.”
In the championship Odgaard provided balance as an attacking midfielder. Why hasn’t he found the right fit yet in the Champions League?
“Beyond Odgaard, Orsolini, Castro, Ndoye have grown… Then the low wingers have grown. From an offensive point of view the whole team has grown. Tomorrow we’ll see, these are matches in which on a strategic level we get to the end and do some calculations can bring results, so we’ll see if we face the challenge with an extra midfielder or attacker.”
How is Dallinga? Could this be his match?
“There are moments and dynamics that are part of this sport. I believe that Dallinga, especially in the Champions League, has had some good opportunities in terms of playing time and opportunities. I hope it’s like ketchup, when you push hard then it comes in an avalanche. Sometimes I’m moments, even a goal from the back can change everything. He must stay calm and continue to have scoring opportunities, tomorrow we will see how Castro is and how we will recover.”
Would going through be equivalent to the two finals with Fiorentina?
“We still have hopes of scoring points and trying to qualify, if the calculations are as they are. We want to try and we must do our best in the meantime to break the deadlock with goals and victory. We will try, we will also have to have a bit of personal pride. These already four games played left us with a lot.”