Eusebio Di Francesco reveals the advice he is giving the young Frosinone starlets after their incredible 4-0 win over Napoli to reach the Coppa Italia quarter-final. ‘Sport is about enjoyment, passion and hard work.’
It was a doubly historic moment for the Canarini, who had never even reached the last 16 of the Coppa Italia and will now face either Juventus or Salernitana in the quarter-final.
They had also never beaten Napoli, managing only two draws in 10 meetings, but emerged 4-0 winners at the Stadio Maradona thanks to Enzo Barrenechea, Giuseppe Caso, Walid Cheddira’s penalty and a last-gasp Abdou Harroui counter-attack.
“There was a lot of hard work to get this coup and the lads maintained our tactical principles, showed sacrifice and put in a great performance despite some sacrificing themselves out of position,” Di Francesco told Mediaset.
“They are determined to show what they can do, help each other out and follow my instructions. The credit also goes to the President who keeps this club stable and allows us to work without concerns. Our fans are always splendid, so everyone deserves this moment.”
As for Di Francesco, he too has seen his career go off the cliff only to climb back up again after dire experiences at Cagliari and Verona.
“I made some bad decisions, I was also not patient or focused enough in some situations, but we always tend to remember the last five minutes. I went through bad periods, I looked within myself and now that I have become a grandfather, I think about them when I am struggling.
“They are the best medicine to remember sport is about enjoyment, passion and hard work. Those are the lessons I took with me to Frosinone.”
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It is a remarkable season for Frosinone, who won the Serie B title last year and currently sit 13th in the top flight with a place in the Coppa Italia quarter-final.
“I think it is above all about the team. Barrenechea is a real midfield playmaker and there are few of his age with that kind of control and vision. What he was missing was just a little experience and to train consistently at a high intensity. In modern football, you cannot do without that mix of technique and power, so he had to work on his strength.
“The players all realised the only way to achieve these performances consistently is to train hard on a daily basis.”
This victory will also have put the spotlight on more of Frosinone’s young starlets, who are being eyed up by big clubs.
“I am happy about that,” concluded Di Francesco.
“I had told the lads on Sunday, after we dropped points late on yet again, that their dream ought to be not a future as stars, but securing safety for Frosinone. It is absolutely right they dream of being big names, but they can only achieve that by doing well consistently for Frosinone.”