Vincenzo Italiano warns it’s ‘not normal’ for Spezia to suffer so much, but they are grateful to beat Cagliari 2-1 and the coach ‘couldn’t believe’ Zdenek Zeman praise.
“It had been over a month since we’d managed to celebrate, it’s natural we let loose. It was not normal to suffer that much in the final minutes after going 2-0 up, but that shows the period we are in,” the coach told Sky Sport Italia.
Vincenzo Italiano warns it’s ‘not normal’ for Spezia to suffer so much, but they are grateful to beat Cagliari 2-1 and the coach ‘couldn’t believe’ Zdenek Zeman praise.
“It had been over a month since we’d managed to celebrate, it’s natural we let loose. It was not normal to suffer that much in the final minutes after going 2-0 up, but that shows the period we are in,” the coach told Sky Sport Italia.
“These are three very important points and we hold onto them tight. We had to start winning again or it was going to become a real problem, as those behind us are catching up. We’ve done nothing yet.”
Spezia panicked towards the end under constant pressure from Cagliari, particularly struggling with long balls.
“I would love to keep my defensive line a long way off the penalty area, but the coach basically disappears in the final 20 minutes when the tension gets that high and the opposition are throwing everything at you. The panic sets in.
“Apart from those final minutes, I think Spezia had a very good performance against a Cagliari side with so much quality and experience, especially compared to our team of mainly debutants.
“We’ll try to keep the flame of enthusiasm lit, cling to our football principles and identity. We made three or four changes from the last game and still managed to beat a big club.
“However, after the final whistle, I told the lads to celebrate only for tonight and from tomorrow to get back to work, because 29 points aren’t nearly enough in Serie A.”
Spezia have the advantage in head-to-head record with Cagliari and Benevento, level with Parma and still need to play the return leg with Torino.
Zdenek Zeman praised Italiano in an interview this weekend, saying the Spezia coach was ‘courageous, fearless and reminds me of myself.’
“I couldn’t believe it when I read that. I always admired Zeman and dreamed of being able to play in his midfield, but I never managed that. It filled me with pride to see his praise.
“We are also very proud of Ricci for his Italy call-up.”