COACH LIVERANI: "THE PUT THEIR HEART AND SOUL INTO IT"
Here was what Fabio Liverani had to say following Bologna vs. Parma.
“This is a very difficult moment but I believe that when you’re working in great difficulty, you can also take something positive from these defeats. The team showed heart today and gave its all. There are physical challenges and some players are a bit bruised at the moment. We’re in a difficult situation, the aim is to stay up by the end of the year and the team today was still under construction and we’re sorry but time is needed.
“We’ve had a plan from the first day I was here and there’s one goal. The transfer market is difficult but again today, I’ve received reassurance from the ownership and the sporting director that we’ll have a competitive squad before the end of the window and I have no doubts about this. At the same time, I believe that a complete squad needs to be able to work consistently all week and this is what I hope for most of all and once this happens, the team will start to find its way.
“We knew that the first three games would be difficult for us because we were up against teams that have spent years together and changed very little, Napoli and Bologna especially. I believe their team today was the same as last year’s apart from one player and they’ve been working together for two years. In these Covid times, if we look at the results the teams who have changed coach and some players are the ones in the most difficulty, because they’ve not had much time. If we think that a normal pre-season campaign lasts for six weeks and almost seven, we’ve maybe had two weeks to work so some patience is needed.
“Dezi in that role? We were forced to. Grassi said he was ready, but he wasn’t fully fit. Kucka was unable to do it, he gritted his teeth, tired to be there, then we used the players we had at our disposal. We had to choose between Dezi and Kucka and I needed a bit more force in midfield so I put Kucka at mezzala. They’re great lads, they give everything even in the bad times, this makes me think positively. This team never gives up, I thank them. We’re back to work tomorrow. We want to get our first points before the international break. I’m convinced that this team will play well against Verona.”
(Photo Getty Images)
