Parma coach Fabio Pecchia was all smiles after his side’s 2-1 victory over Milan on Saturday evening, admitting that it has been a ‘perfect birthday’ after goals from Dennis Man and Matteo Cancellieri.
The Parma coach is celebrating his 51st birthday on Saturday, but there was little time for festivities prior to kick-off at the Tardini Stadium.
Pecchia was particularly pleased with the showings from Pontus Almqvist and Matteo Cancellieri, both of whom arrived relatively late on in the transfer window.
Pecchia happy with ‘perfect’ birthday
“Yes, it’s a perfect birthday,” Pecchia told DAZN with a big smile on his face.
“Cancellieri and Almqvist arrived 10 days ago, fitting in under those circumstances is not always easy, particularly with limited training, but their character is great. I’m happy because though we suffered, their play allowed us to win a great game.”
He still feels that there is work to do following Parma’s promotion at the end of the 2023-24 season.
“We have to adapt to Serie A, which is completely different from Serie B.
“The first year we played with Vazquez as a false nine, last year we were playing in the opponent’s hald with a totally different game plan. The teams are stronger here, the teams put us under more pressure and the pitch always seems to open up more.
“I’m happy with the first half, but also with the second. We didn’t just defend for ourselves, we always had the desire to go out and win.”
Pecchia has plenty of faith in his youthful side. He joked with reporters that some of his players are not even able to drive just yet.
“I’ve always said asking for experience from this team is not useful. I have to lean on their youth, their desire to have fun, I have to follow them.
“ I’ve been working with them for two years now, I’ve seen their growth. There are some guys here who don’t even have a driving license. It’s an advantage for us.”
Parma played well against Viola and always looked dangerous in their counter-attacks against Milan. Will keep my eye on them.