Turati: “Fifth straight win, dedicated to Sergio Carpanesi”

Fifth consecutive league victory for Coach Marco Turati’s Aquile, who spoke to the press after the match: “First of all, I want to dedicate this victory to Spezia’s ‘coach of coaches,’ Sergio Carpanesi: this victory is for him and his entire family.

The third game in a week is never easy, but the guys put on a high-quality performance in the first half-hour, playing at a blistering pace and scoring two goals in quick succession. I wasn’t happy with the last ten minutes, though, because we played sloppily, looking too much for individual plays—and that shouldn’t happen. We also made things difficult for ourselves early in the second half, but when I say this is a very young team, I mean it because they still need to fully understand the different phases of the game and their own limitations. Sometimes we lose our way during the match; there are moments we don’t know how to handle, but all in all, we played a solid game and earned three well-deserved points.

I don’t think there was a point where we tried to play more attractive soccer at the expense of effectiveness; rather, I think we started thinking too early about how to manage the game. We’re a team that’s still getting to know each other—I myself still need to understand many aspects of my team’s character—but I’m glad this happened today, because we’ll certainly have time to improve and grow.

I’m very pleased with the forwards’ performance because they all scored—except for Jimenez and Di Serio, who played today in support of the center forward; both still need to find the perfect rhythm to play in that role, because whoever plays there needs to help us both in building up play and in supporting the striker as a full-fledged second striker—but I’m very happy with their effort. Di Serio showed great willingness; at the end, he even thanked me for the opportunity, but I’m the one who should thank him because he’s a guy who never gives up—ever since he rejoined the team, he’s always trained at his absolute best—and I’m disappointed he didn’t score.

I’m very happy with my players because they work hard and are forming a group that’s almost like a family; today I chose to give Benvenuto his debut because he was the only one who hadn’t played yet, and he’s a very serious young man who understands the situations on the field and deserved to be rewarded by coming on today—he earned it during the week: he’s a wonderful young man.

The goal we conceded? I’m absolutely furious. We hadn’t conceded a goal at home yet, and that statistic means a great deal to me. I was a defender myself; I know very well how great it feels to leave the field with a clean sheet, but that’s how it went today—these things happen. Today it came from a gross naivety, but it’s better this way, because there’s no need to scramble to find a tactical solution to the mistake.

I feel I’ve matured a lot as a person, and I recognize that I’m able to instill in these players the dedication they need to have for this jersey; I always tell them that I’ll never judge them by the result, but by what they’re able to convey to the whole Spezia community. I didn’t think I could create an atmosphere like the one we have today in such a short time, and that makes me feel mature.

Achieving five straight wins after six years gives me immense satisfaction, because I was there six years ago too, and I remember that period very well.

Unlike that team, we’re still a work in progress; even a small mistake can undo a good performance, but it’s certainly a source of pride. After the game, I was talking to Simone Bastoni and telling him that every time the anthem plays, I watch that video and see his goal against Milan; I look at our photos, and the emotions really flood back. So he said to me, ‘Let’s hope we can add some new photos together.’

We’re going to face three truly strong teams, with a different average age than ours and different levels of experience; moreover, all these matches will be away games, but we have to stay focused and give it our all, just as we do every day: if we keep doing what we’ve done so far, we can be proud of ourselves, regardless of the result.”