SPAL - Benevento, post-match statements from coach De Rossi

At the end of the match against Benevento, coach Daniele De Rossi came to the press room of the "Mazza" Stadium to answer questions from the journalists present.

"I did not like the way we played," the biancozzurro coach began, "and something similar happened with Südtirol. When we are ahead we stop playing, when we should be doing it almost on velvet. We had talked about entering the field well, trying to score goals right away, also because they were coming from some negative results and could lose some serenity. However, we did not stop fighting, because the players from this point of view are incredible and the intensity and desire they put on the field is resounding. In soccer, though, you have to hold onto the ball when you have to hold onto it, you have to win duels when they have to be won and you have to go deep when you attack, we have to work on that."

"With the substitution of La Mantia," said coach De Rossi, "I wanted to give more solidity, muscle and intensity in the middle of the field at a time when we were aware that we were suffering.  In my opinion we were quite compact in defense but too low and this did not allow us to get out and, at the same time, we had some counterattacks that we did not exploit well. After taking the lead we lowered our center of gravity trying not to concede goals-that's something that can be okay, but we can't stop playing because otherwise sooner or later the goal will come."

"We have come to a certain kind of awareness in the kind of game we want to play," De Rossi further added, "but in the first half we moved the ball so much horizontally, without being able to finalize that with the vertical play that would have allowed us to jump the pressure line. This also makes it easier for opponents to come and attack you. We will review the game all together by analyzing it and, first and foremost, my staff and I will try to improve about the aspects that we failed to convey in the right way to the boys."

"Esposito had told me yesterday that he was going to score today on a free kick," the Spallino coach concluded, "and I was jokingly teasing him, reminding him that since I've been here he still hadn't taken the goal mirror. This time he proved me wrong and, besides the goal, he played a great game from the point of view of sacrifice with some incredible plays."