Director Angelozzi's Post-Transfer Window Press Conference

Press conference with Director Guido Angelozzi: “I want to thank the club’s ownership for giving me the opportunity to be back here today, so once again I thank Owner Tom Roberts and President Charlie Stillitano for giving me the chance to work the way I like. I also thank all my staff, because these have been truly demanding months, with as many as 64 transactions—including signings, departures, and contract terminations— not to mention several moves made for the Primavera team, such as the signings of Trocino and Trentinella, since starting this year that team is also under my management, led by Mattia Biso, whom I thank—as I also thank Sporting Director Gianluca Longo—for the sound advice they’ve given me and for the work they’ve done.

I’m very satisfied with what we’ve accomplished. At first, I thought I might be able to salvage a few situations, but then I realized it was a waste of time trying to bring back players from the previous administration, so we decided to make a clean break with the past.
From the very first day I returned, I made it clear that we had been relegated to Serie C and that everyone would have to make some sacrifices—no exceptions. My messages have always been clear, and on the first day of training camp—immediately after the welcome—I spoke with the players who were already here last year and who had contracts that were a heavy financial burden for the club. I explained that we had all been relegated and spoke with them to see who still wanted to play here, while trying to spread their salaries over two fiscal years. I also said that for anyone who found another team, we would cover any difference in pay. As the days went by, I received no response, so at the first opportunity I spoke with Cassata, because—since he and Vignali are both from La Spezia—I expected them to take the first step. I also said that we would discuss contract extensions later for those whose contracts were expiring, because the initial stance was clear to everyone, regardless of their role in the club. I found no willingness on anyone’s part; I took note of that, and before the Coppa Italia, I made it clear that even those who had been part of the squad up to that point would no longer be included, regardless of tactical needs. Days later, when a month and a half had already passed since my proposal, they came back to try to open a dialogue, but by then the transfer window had closed, their decisions had been made, and they had never met me halfway—so there was no desire to move forward with us, and for me, it was pointless to discuss it further.

Cassata? He took all the money over two years. Bandinelli has cost a fortune in recent years. I’m honest; I speak plainly and am always open to debate, but there are real, tangible facts—so often it’s better to remain silent.

I came back for the city and its fans, who have always loved me and welcomed me wonderfully. I’ll always be grateful to all these people for what they mean to me, and every time I talk about them, I get emotional, because this time I’ve developed an even stronger bond than in the past. Take yesterday, for example—a game that drew a much larger crowd than many Cup matches featuring Serie A teams.

This is a team that’s still coming together; we need to give the coach time to work and the team time to grow. Maybe the coach would have liked a few more wingers, but the opportunity didn’t arise, so we chose a very strong midfielder like Jimenez and a forward with qualities we didn’t have on the roster. We have an excellent coach who I’m sure will always find ways to get the best out of the team. Yesterday we had a starting lineup worthy of Serie C, and today I can say we’re among the top 4 or 5 teams that can compete for the championship. I don’t want to put pressure on anyone—I know we have work to do—but we’ve completed the roster, and now we need to continue on our path, trying to build on the great chemistry that’s been there from the start.

Have we managed to do everything the club asked of us? No, to be honest. But we’ve all done a great job, and the ownership is certainly happier now. They’re a group of serious people; Spezia should cherish them because they want to bring continuity and stability to this club.

In the project we’ve implemented, we’ve ultimately brought about a real revolution, and we have a young team with a few experienced players. In my previous role, the project was a two-year plan. This year, we aren’t under pressure to win the championship; I know that if we stick together, we can compete for it, but if it doesn’t happen, it won’t be a tragedy. The important thing will be to maintain continuity in the project, avoid upheaval within the club, strengthen the team in the right way, and improve gradually.

We still have one spot open on the roster. Initially, we were supposed to sign a winger—we’d set our sights on Della Morte—but the terms changed several times, and I didn’t think that deal would be right for our club. Since there’s still one spot left on the roster, the plan is to bring in Di Serio, but first I want to talk to him: he’s a good player; he needs to adjust to the city, and if he makes the squad, we’ll all have to help him win back the fans’ support—just as he himself will have to do through hard work and sacrifice—because he’s a good guy and an excellent player.

There are offers from abroad for Hristov and Mateju; Gianluca Longo is working very carefully on possible solutions—we’ll see.I think the roster is strong, so as far as I’m concerned, the free-agent market doesn’t exist. I’d have to let a player go to sign another one, so it’s a market we’re not looking at. I’m extremely pleased with what we’ve accomplished in the transfer market; the only criticism I have of myself is that I didn’t sign another winger that the coach wanted.

Ricci was willing to join us on our terms—I thank him for that—but in the end we made other choices, just as we did with Maggiore and other players from the old guard. Bastoni is now Spezia’s captain; he agreed to our terms, and in that case we welcomed him.
I want to publicly thank Sarr, who always trained seriously and who, when he decided to leave, chose to forgo nearly 450,000 euros gross, saying that for two years he’d been paid without having done practically anything due to injuries and felt he was in debt to the club, so he waived his entire second-year salary. For this, I can only thank him—he taught us all a lesson because he truly behaved exactly as I expect a captain to.

The coach’s strength lies in having acted quickly despite the short timeframe and the major overhaul of the roster, in having given the team an identity, and in creating excellent chemistry between the players and staff; everyone knows we’re in Serie C, that we need to be united, and if we build and maintain the right chemistry between the team and the fans, we’ll be able to achieve great success.

I know Tom Roberts is very happy, even if he’s disappointed by the behavior of the players who were here last year. This year, however, marks the club’s 120th anniversary, and we hope to have him here with us in person so we can celebrate that milestone together.”