Cagliari manager Davide Nicola expressed his appreciation for the compliments he received from Napoli’s coach Antonio Conte during a pre-match press conference ahead of the Cagliari-Napoli fixture. Nicola’s response showcased mutual respect between the two managers and his focus on continuous improvement.
Nicola stated, “Conte’s compliments are pleasing. They are the same that I, from a different position, extend to him as he is a top-level coach. I’m glad that he appreciates me. I don’t pay much attention to what is said about me; rather, I try to always learn new things.”
Reflecting on Cagliari’s recent performance against Lecce, Nicola acknowledged his team’s struggles in converting chances into goals. He emphasized the importance of maintaining a balanced perspective, saying, “We lacked the ability to turn created opportunities into goals. It’s important to be calm, clear-headed, and balanced. We can’t afford the luxury of getting depressed or overly excited, and we can’t do without the task of any player on the field. If we consistently produce the numbers we did in Lecce, it’s impossible not to gain points in the long run.”
Nicola also discussed the value of statistics in understanding a team’s direction and the importance of improvement in specific areas. He noted, “Numbers are useful for understanding the direction you’re taking. Over the long term, the values of teams emerge. We need to be skilled at improving our attention on set pieces. There will be times when we score from set pieces; many moments happen throughout a season. You have to take the trend that today says we need to improve in transitioning from active to passive play. Young players can show completely different numbers, and with work, it will happen.”
