Fabio Grosso admits his Brescia debut “wasn’t what we all wanted” after a 4-0 defeat to Torino, but defends his decision to substitute Mario Balotelli.
It was a disastrous first outing after Eugenio Corini’s dismissal, losing 4-0 at home to Toro and seeing Ales Mateju sent off before half-time.
Fabio Grosso admits his Brescia debut “wasn’t what we all wanted” after a 4-0 defeat to Torino, but defends his decision to substitute Mario Balotelli.
It was a disastrous first outing after Eugenio Corini’s dismissal, losing 4-0 at home to Toro and seeing Ales Mateju sent off before half-time.
“It certainly wasn’t the debut we all wanted, as we had started with the right approach, but there were many incidents that put the game in a certain direction,” said Grosso in his press conference.
“There were some positives, as we fought back with pride after the break. It’s a bad result, but nothing has really changed from the first day I arrived. I knew this was a difficult situation.”
Brescia fans were already angry at the decision to sack Corini, but audibly protested Grosso’s decision to replace Balotelli with Bruno Martella at half-time.
“I opted to continue with players who had a strong spirit of sacrifice. When you are down to 10 men, you need someone who is prepared to chase down opponents and that is really not one of Balotelli’s strengths. It seemed the most natural decision and I think Mario understood that.
“The team was tense in the first half and it just got worse after going 2-0 down and seeing a red card. We need to rediscover the freedom and enjoyment of our football, as it’s the only way out of these difficulties. We go home disappointed today, but it can be a learning experience for the future.”