Giampiero Ventura has apologised to the Torino supporters following the 2-1 Europa League defeat to HJK Helsinki.
Giampiero Ventura has apologised to the Torino supporters following the 2-1 Europa League defeat to HJK Helsinki.
The Granata suffered their first loss of the group stage after they were stunned by the Finnish champions on Thursday and the Coach demanded an immediate response from his players.
“I apologise to the fans who came this far to watch the team,” Ventura told reporters after the match.
“I’m extremely disappointed with the performance this evening. If we had equalised in injury time, my analysis would have been identical.
“You can’t expect to win in Europe if you can’t even win a tackle. I think that everyone needs to rediscover their humility and get their feet back on the ground.
“And when I say everyone, I mean everyone, without exception. We’ve made many sacrifices to get where we are now, so it’s not acceptable to have a game like that.
“What was missing? Heart. Can this be a lesson? I hope so. It’s clear that after a performance like that, you must immediately respond with determination, pride and heart.
“As unacceptable as it was, it can’t and shouldn’t erase all the good things that we’ve done until now. In Europe, there are still two games to play. A win would see us go through.
“Therefore, we are masters of our destiny. It's up to us to prove that we deserve to progress in this tournament.”
Torino are now second in the group, one point behind Club Brugge and three clear of FC Copenhagen.