Claudio Ranieri concedes Genoa ‘fully deserved’ to win the Derby della Lanterna against his Sampdoria. ‘We tip our hats to them.’
The Grifone had not beaten their local rivals for four years and a defeat here would’ve pushed them back into the danger zone.
“We played our game and Genoa had that little bit more motivation, not to mention being able to score two goals compared to just one for us,” said Ranieri in his press conference.
Claudio Ranieri concedes Genoa ‘fully deserved’ to win the Derby della Lanterna against his Sampdoria. ‘We tip our hats to them.’
The Grifone had not beaten their local rivals for four years and a defeat here would’ve pushed them back into the danger zone.
“We played our game and Genoa had that little bit more motivation, not to mention being able to score two goals compared to just one for us,” said Ranieri in his press conference.
“We pushed hard and if our fans had been there, perhaps we could’ve pushed a little more, but I cannot complain about our performance. It’s disappointing to lose a derby, but Genoa fully deserved it and we tip our hats to them.
“Sampdoria played with grit and determination, but Genoa were sharper in the goal-scoring situations. It was a game of moments, flashes of momentum, and Genoa’s moments ended up in goals when ours did not. The decider went through a sea of legs, so there’s not much you can do about that.
“Playing a derby without fans is the worst thing in this sport, but this is the situation we are in and we have to keep going.”
Samp had already secured their Serie A safety, which might explain the difference in motivation, after a splendid run of victories.
“Next we’ll be up against Juventus and Milan, two of the form teams in Italy.”