For Emiliano Viviano and his teammates, with Milan behind Sampdoria only on goal differential, it is time to think about the next ninety minutes of the championship match in the Serie A: those that will see Sampdoria face-off against Massimo Oddo's Udinese in a very important match, for a much needed 3 points in the race for a place in Europe. Here is the press conference from coach Marco Giampaolo, just over twenty-four hours before the kick-off of the match from the press room of Mugnaini in Bogliasco.
"I have reviewed the match against Milan twice: on Monday, but I was tired and lackluster. Tuesday, to get a better idea of what happened in the game, I spent many hours watching and seeing the full 90 minutes. I can say that in terms of defensive effort, it was perhaps the best collective performance of the season, but we missed in the last step: we lacked the sensitivity and quality in the last third of the pitch. Now comes Udinese, which is a very complicated match".
"To deal with a subdued Zapata? When I talk about choices and demarcations, I refer to the three strikers, not the individual. I'm talking about collective attitudes. Whoever takes responsibility can be wrong, it may be that Zapata goes through a period of fogging, because staying at high levels for ten months is not easy. For this reason, if one is doing well he will play, if not play I will play the other three: this involves Zapata. If he will plays well, so be it. Otherwise I will play someone else".
"There is no Zapata case, he must think about training and practice day in, day out, and I will judge him from time to time. After the substitution he was not happy, but there is no fining a player: I am not a tax collector. I'm interested in understanding some things, he had to say goodbye to his partner and that's it. The boy is polite and calm ".
"It is a good feeling when the team plays well: they play with confidence. In a collective performance if one or more players are missing, you can not hide it: you just have to understand what kind of work the Sampdoria is doing and the type of game you want to play. We have had so many high-level performances, we would be second or third, but we need to understand where we can get and determine how much ambition we have to get there".
On returning to play Udinese in match day 26: "It's a physical team, it knows how to close itself, it knows how to start again: it will be a particular physical confrontation, and we will have to make a great game on the technical level, of personality, and of the desire to win. A very complicated game, but if faced as it should be, there will be no problems, I expect the team to play against them well. The push and cheers from the public? It will be decisive, I always say it. We must have the strength to feed that passion, the team must keep the fire burning: we do not give anything to anyone. The importance of Caprari to undermine a physical defense like that of Udinese? Caprari is not enough. Tomorrow it will take the quality, spirit and lucidity of the first eleven to understand, and break down Udinese for the victory.
On the condition of the team. "Barreto has trained well and is doing well, he is a great professional. Verre and Sala are not available. The callings of Ferrari and Caprari for the national stage? I'm happy and the players are happy. Praet? He is available, and that is very important to us.
The conference ended with a joke about a possible personal record of one hundred games coached and thirteen seasonal wins. "My records? Getting to the hundredth game is nice, I like to win. The goals like those are like those of the mountain however, they are temporary. Winning at Sampdoria is the bigger picture, we must do something historic and extraordinary with this team.
