Pippo Inzaghi was more than happy with Benevento holding brother Simone’s Lazio to a 1-1 draw. ‘We talked last night and it was a tricky conversation!’
This was only the second time that the two brothers faced off as coaches on the touchline, after Simone’s Lazio beat Pippo’s Bologna 2-0 in December 2018.
Pippo Inzaghi was more than happy with Benevento holding brother Simone’s Lazio to a 1-1 draw. ‘We talked last night and it was a tricky conversation!’
This was only the second time that the two brothers faced off as coaches on the touchline, after Simone’s Lazio beat Pippo’s Bologna 2-0 in December 2018.
It was a stalemate this time, with Ciro Immobile’s spectacular opener cancelled out by a Pasquale Schiattarella volley for the 1-1 final result.
“I could not have asked for anything more from these lads. They are fantastic and giving me these incredible moments, because playing on a level field with Juventus and Lazio after we were in Serie B last season, it’s amazing,” the Benevento boss told DAZN.
“Lazio were like aliens in the first half, they were in the top 16 in Europe, they dominated us, but we didn’t give up and we got it back on track. I am truly happy that all their hard work is paying off with these results.
“We are newly-promoted, yet we are having our say – whether we lose, win or draw – against teams that ought to be well beyond our reach.
“I mean, when Immobile scores a goal like that, what can you say to the defenders? It’s a goal of the season contender, there’s nothing you can do about it. I told them that if we leave the pitch and I’m proud of them, it doesn’t matter what the result was.
“I am also very pleased for the kid (Giuseppe Di Serio) who came on, got some free kicks off Wesley Hoedt and forced a save from Pepe Reina. Born in 2001, that’s also something for the club and its youth academy to be proud of.”
Pippo and Simone are incredibly close and talk at least once a day, so how did they handle the build-up to this match?
“It was a strange game, an emotional evening to play against my brother’s team, the side I usually cheer on as their Number One Fan. I found a photograph today of me and Simone in Piacenza at the stadium with a cushion from the arena.
“I had to put it all to one side and focus only on the game for 90 minutes, try to put it out of my mind,” confessed Pippo.
“It’s odd too for our parents, his children, my nephews, but it’s the essence of football, being opponents for 90 minutes. We’ll have to go through it all again in four months.
“It was really weird last night, as we spoke on the phone at about midnight, the way we usually do. We tend to chat about how the players are going, what we’re planning tactically, but obviously we had to steer clear of all that! It was a tricky conversation to have.
“It was tough celebrating for a goal scored against my brother and he did the same, we were quite reserved on the touchline compared to usual. There’s nothing you can say, the things my brother achieved with Lazio are extraordinary and he deserves so much credit.”