Genoa manager Patrick Vieira addressed the media in a press conference ahead of his team’s upcoming Serie A match against Udinese. The French coach expressed confidence in his squad’s preparation and acknowledged the challenge posed by their opponents.
“It’s been a week where we’ve worked really well. I’ve seen a focused group,” Vieira stated. “We’ll face a physical and very organized team. We need to pay attention to the details of this match.”
Reflecting on the team’s recent draw against Cagliari, Vieira highlighted some positives: “We created dangerous situations and scored two goals. It means we have a lot to work on, but I liked the way and the clear idea of what we want to do on the field.”
When asked about specific player performances, Vieira emphasized the collective effort: “The whole team did well; we put in a good collective performance. And that’s why players show their quality when a team plays well; quality is always visible.”
Regarding tactical flexibility, Vieira stated, “The most important thing is to put players in roles where they can show their qualities. I’m very open to changing formations, and this helps players perform well.”
On the goalkeeper situation, Vieira confirmed, “Leali is doing very well. Gollini has resumed training and is doing more this week, but he’s not ready to start the match.”
Addressing the challenge of facing Udinese, Vieira noted, “They are very dangerous because they are very aggressive and have structure. We must be careful not to commit fouls in the area. On our part, we have the possibility to hurt them because we have mobility and technical quality.”
When asked about potential lineup choices, including the possibility of starting Mario Balotelli, Vieira responded with a smile, “I don’t want to make decisions based on the height of the player. The most important thing is to have a clear way of playing. Mario is an important player; he has worked well this week. He needs to continue like this. He knows he can score, but he must keep it up.”
Vieira concluded by discussing the availability of key players Vitinha and Messias: “There’s still a day before making final decisions. But having these players available is important. They are players with speed and are strong in one-on-one situations. Having them available is crucial.”
