Lecce manager Luca Gotti addressed the media ahead of his team’s important clash against Hellas Verona. The coach emphasized the significance of the upcoming match and reflected on recent performances.
When asked about the importance of tomorrow’s game, Gotti stated: “At this point in the season, it’s extremely important for many reasons. We need to make a leap in the standings and pull ourselves out of this run of consecutive defeats. While the table should be looked at in the end, this is a game that has considerable importance for both Lecce and Verona.”
Gotti acknowledged the challenge of preparing for the match on short rest: “I’ll have to verify during the final training session if we’ve recovered from the fatigue. The game will be very different compared to Napoli. The opponent is energetic and can be dangerous. There will be very different moments within the match, and we must have mental solidity.”
Reflecting on the recent performance against Napoli, the coach saw positive signs: “After the Fiorentina match, my declaration of intent and that of the team was to find ourselves again: to present a Lecce that is a team. From this point of view, the takeaways from Napoli are positive. That’s the right path in terms of attitude and cohesion: fundamental ingredients.”
Addressing the team’s scoring issues, Gotti said: “At every press conference, you ask me the same question, and I try to change the words, but the answer is always the same: daily work, and also looking for that lucky break.”
On managing the team’s mentality for such a crucial match, Gotti emphasized the need for resilience: “Those who coach teams destined to fight for survival must be solid. There are many defeats, few victories, and much depends on the schedule. You need to have the ability and pleasure in daily work. Lecce and Verona have different standings, but they are going through difficult periods. We accept criticism and here and there we find interesting insights. However, we must be impermeable to catastrophism.”
Regarding team selection, Gotti was cautious: “I’m definitely recovering Gallo. Pelmard and Pierotti deserve my applause for their attitude and performance. We played on Saturday, and yesterday morning we trained with those who didn’t play. All those who played did recovery work. Soon I’ll have the first real training session, and we have a few situations in the balance, several questions. I struggle to give you anything true and concrete.”
The coach also praised Rafia’s recent performance: “I liked him a lot. He read the game well and was particularly useful. We’ll see.”
