Pedro Obiang believes Sampdoria are the Italian version of Atletico Madrid and Sinisa Mihajlovic their Diego Simeone.
The Blucerchiati are flying high in fourth place with 48 points, more than the club has ever achieved after 28 rounds since three points were assigned for a win.
“We are making the most of this moment and are now trying to cause problems for the teams ahead of us in the table,” Obiang told Cadena Ser in Spain.
Pedro Obiang believes Sampdoria are the Italian version of Atletico Madrid and Sinisa Mihajlovic their Diego Simeone.
The Blucerchiati are flying high in fourth place with 48 points, more than the club has ever achieved after 28 rounds since three points were assigned for a win.
“We are making the most of this moment and are now trying to cause problems for the teams ahead of us in the table,” Obiang told Cadena Ser in Spain.
“We are a bit like the Italian Atletico Madrid, trying to become a big family. We’ve got a great collective.”
For midfielder Obiang, the comparisons are also valid for the two Coaches.
“Anyone who has seen and known Mihajlovic as a player realises he has a lot of character, he likes to show that personality to his players.
“He is similar to Simeone, but with a different way of approaching and controlling the locker room.”
Miha famously clashed with Samuel Eto’o within days of the Cameroon striker’s arrival, but Obiang claims it was overblown.
“Nothing really happened, it was just a misunderstanding between them. The Coach had a certain idea to put forward and in that moment Eto’o didn’t agree. Then they talked it over and understood each other.
“As they both live in the same hotel, they have an excellent rapport now.
“The Genoa derby here is very similar to the Clasico, as it’s the game everyone is waiting for and you can sense the expectation during the week leading up to it.
“Genoa fans say their team is the best, while Sampdoria had a positive period when they were challenging for Europe and won many editions.
“The game decides which parts of the city are happy. They come to us before the game and say it’s not a match, it’s a battle. We know how much the derby matters.”