Stefano Colantuono says he almost signed Simone Zaza and has made clear Atalanta’s” data-scaytid=”3″>Atalanta’s commitment to improve on the road, starting at Cagliari” data-scaytid=”4″>Cagliari.
La Dea head into Week 2 with a trip to Zdenek Zeman’s Sardinians with their Coach eager for the team to build on last year’s positive season with improved away days.
Stefano Colantuono says he almost signed Simone Zaza and has made clear Atalanta’s commitment to improve on the road, starting at Cagliari.
La Dea head into Week 2 with a trip to Zdenek Zeman’s Sardinians with their Coach eager for the team to build on last year’s positive season with improved away days.
“I want stability and security from the team. We need the right mindset, not like last year, when we initially struggled on the road,” Colantuono has told reporters today.
“Sooner or later we will lose, but we must work harder and harder on the defence. Even so, if we should concede an immediate goal to Cagliari and win 2-1, I'd be happy.”
“It will be a tough season, especially for intermediate clubs such as ourselves and Cagliari.
“It will be hard to come up against them, they have great players, fast and dangerous. I respect Zeman, he is a good Coach and his teams offensively are well drilled.
“There are no easy games and Cagliari have always done well in Serie A, they have played in this League for many years. I have always found the trip to Cagliari particularly tough.”
The Coach was asked if new signing Alejandro Gomez could feature for his side, and if he feared facing Victor Ibarbo, back in contention for the weekend’s opponents.
“I do not know if Ibarbo will play from the start, but against Sassuolo he was absent and the even so the team was dangerous on the counter-attack.
“Gomez is fine, but is in the same situation as Baselli and Molina – he needs to find the right pace, because he has played little in the summer and has only had a few training sessions due to bureaucratic issues. We have to manage him to prevent injury.”
Simone Zaza is the man of the moment, developed at Atalanta for a couple of years and could have been back there more recently, according to Colantuono.
“I think he is a very strong player and I believe that if he maintains this pace then he will become a great centre-forward – it just depends on him.
“We had previously considered bringing him back to Bergamo last season…”