Eusebio Di Francesco has new injury problems for Sassuolo against Bologna in the Emilia-Romagna Derby, but knows son Federico will get the family vote.
It kicks off on Sunday at 11.30 GMT, click here for a match preview.
“We certainly want to get back to winning ways on home turf, even if we’ve had some good performances and been unlucky lately,” said the Coach in his Press conference.
Eusebio Di Francesco has new injury problems for Sassuolo against Bologna in the Emilia-Romagna Derby, but knows son Federico will get the family vote.
It kicks off on Sunday at 11.30 GMT, click here for a match preview.
“We certainly want to get back to winning ways on home turf, even if we’ve had some good performances and been unlucky lately,” said the Coach in his Press conference.
“If we can focus on cancelling out the mistakes and being more clinical in front of goal, then we can achieve some great things.
“Bologna had some good games and have quality players, so this is a dangerous fixture for us. We are playing in Serie A and I am sick of reading that the players in mid-table clubs are not motivated. I want to see my team hungry for success.
“I didn’t like the performance against Crotone in any way, shape or form – and the players know it. I want a different approach, as we’ve got to prove we belong here. We earned Serie A with sweat and hard work, now we need the same to keep hold of it.”
Sassuolo have struggled with injury problems all season and they’re not over yet.
“Gregoire Defrel and Stefano Sensi won’t be there. Paolo Cannavaro has recovered from flu, but we’ll see who plays. We’ve got to be careful with Simone Missiroli.
“Domenico Berardi was out for four months with a bad injury and it can take a while to fully recover from that. The missed penalty against Milan could affect him mentally, so he needs to clear his mind and get back out there. The goal mustn’t become an obsession for him.
“I am not disappointed with our season. Maybe last term was remarkable, maybe this is what Sassuolo should be doing instead, to focus on growing young players. We’re a small club, we don’t have the prestige of some other sides and need to stay humble.”
This is not just a local derby, but also a family affair, as Eusebio Di Francesco’s son Federico plays for Bologna.
“I hope he gets to play, because I know it means a lot to him, even if we will be opponents. My parents will be in the stands and they’ll certainly be cheering him on rather than me!”