At the end of the match against Cosenza, which secured third place in the standings, coach Luca D’Angelo spoke to the press: “We only had one player at risk of suspension, Nagy, whom I know very well, and I was confident he wouldn’t get himself booked. We wanted to win because finishing third is a great achievement, one we earned and deserved over the course of the season.
The fans are fully behind us, they support us unconditionally and are eager to take on these semifinals. I believe this is one of the best seasons Spezia has ever played, if not the very best.
Today, we needed players who could manage the ball calmly, I needed experience on the pitch, which is why I made certain choices.
Lapadula? He’s dealing with a minor ankle issue, but I don’t think it’s anything serious. His connection with Pio Esposito? He’s a smart kid who’s adapted very well to our environment. They’re getting to know each other more and more, and it’s already been three matches where they’ve shown they work well together.
Kouda? He scored, but in my opinion he’s capable of even more. He needs to find consistency throughout the match. When he’s at his best, he’s an exceptional player, I’ve always been clear about how highly I rate him.
Elia? When he’s fit, he’s outstanding. He can play on the right, the left, or even as a mezzala.
The defense? They’ve set a high standard, we’re clearly the best defensive team in the league. But that’s thanks to the entire team’s work.
Cosenza played with a free mind and pushed forward with many men, so they did create a few dangerous chances, but that can happen over the course of a match.
After our direct clash with Pisa, I thought we might be able to grab second place, but credit to them, they were stronger. We put up incredible numbers, numbers that should’ve earned us even more points, which just shows what a remarkable season we’ve had, even if we drew a few too many games we probably deserved to win.
I’ve never coached in Serie A, but Serie B is definitely a very tough league. Just look at what happened to us last year. Serie B deserves to be respected, every club’s first goal should always be survival, and there’s no shame in saying it. The priority is picking up points, not just for Spezia but for everyone.
We’ll see who we face, either way, it’ll be a strong team and a tough challenge, but we’ll do everything we can to be ready. What matters is approaching it with determination and hopefully a few more players available. I’m confident we’ll be ready to compete, this team is solid, both mentally and physically".
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