SPALMister Dossena pre match press conference

THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 2024

Mister Dossena pre match press conference

Coach Dossena press conference before  Perugia-SPAL

"This week we worked hard on the mistakes we made and the good things we saw on Friday evening. These are long days, we need to recover players, integrate new ones, finish the transfer market in the best way, and we're facing a difficult match against a great team. I told the boys that everyone needs to be mentally present, even the players who could potentially leave. Last week it was easier to make the switch because there was more time, but they will still have to do it in these hours because until the last minute they are SPAL players.

Perugia is a team with excellent elements and a well-established playing style. This week we'll have to be something we're not, even though our DNA is not yet defined, but this can be the week of exception in terms of attitude because tomorrow's game needs to be approached in a very specific way that probably won't be how we face opponents in the long term.

I expect desire, enthusiasm, and determination to achieve the result, but tomorrow's match will be different from the one against Ascoli. We'll have to always be on our toes and wait for the right moment to strike.

Calapai is an attacking full-back, a wing-back who completes our defensive line. He's been one of our main targets for a month and a half now, so I'm happy to have him here, albeit slightly late, but we can do little about this because the market dictates the timing. Bachini is coming along well, Radrezza is a bit behind in terms of fitness but is working hard, Awua came on in the second half but due to his physical characteristics, he's a player who can find optimal condition in a couple of weeks of work. Ntenda was officially signed this morning and has only done 20 minutes with us, we'll need a couple of weeks to evaluate him.

In general, I think tomorrow's match has been well prepared, the ideas have been absorbed by the team correctly, but then there's always the opponent, and we have to hope that we've done our job well and that there are as few unforeseen circumstances as possible.

Everyone has to do their part. On Friday, we didn't deserve to lose 2-0, and I'm sure that with a bit more knowledge and a bit more precision in crosses, we could have even won it with the introduction of Mirco and La Mantia. The public, however, understood and appreciated the effort put in on the field, and we can't wait to continue giving them satisfaction.

Physically, we're doing well. In training, I see progress. The temperatures still affect us a lot, and the match atmosphere also makes a difference, but I see that the boys are starting to get to know each other. It still takes time to oil the mechanisms, but if they continue to put their heart and soul into it as they are doing, the results will come because progress is already visible."