Genoa coach Alberto Gilardino says he hopes to emulate Gian Piero Gasperini by spending a full season with the Grifone. Goals from Mateo Retegui and Mattia Bani in the second half helped Genoa secure a 2-0 victory over Udinese, marking a return to winning ways. The Rossoblù now stand at 33 points in the league table, with a comfortable 13-point lead over the relegation zone. Following the match, Alberto Gilardino spoke to Sky Sport Italia and reflected on a massively positive season for the club:
“I’m very happy. Happy with the players’ performance; they interpreted the game in the best possible way. We knew Udinese would close the spaces in the first half, making it difficult to break their defensive line, but then we accelerated the game and took control. The credit goes to the players. There were moments where we played positively. The only regret is not scoring the third goal. Apart from that, it was a game with the right attitude, and these are three crucial points.”
In recent years, only Gasperini has managed to start and finish a season on Genoa’s bench. Gilardino is now close to achieving the same feat: “It’s a good omen. I salute Gasperini; I hope to have a career like his. I was fortunate to have him as a coach. He knows perfectly well what it means to coach this team. For me, what has happened over the past year is incredible. Coming from the Primavera, winning the league, and confirming myself. There’s extraordinary work behind it. The team has put itself at the service; there’s a lot of desire to improve. These are all positive steps; there’s healthy competition within the team.”
Then, he spoke about his future: “Regarding my future, as I’ve said several times, the club hasn’t called me yet. We haven’t talked about the future yet. My staff and I are focused on the present to keep improving, and there will be time to talk.”
Gilardino then praised the mentality of his Genoa side: “Humility is the mindset I’ve tried to instill in the team along with the staff. We must have this spirit daily, in every training session, through this spirit of sacrifice and suffering. We must not change these attitudes of sacrifice and humility. Then we have players who can decide games. Humility is the foundation of this team; it’s fundamental for me.”
The coach then focused on Retegui: “I work a lot with Retegui. Both my collaborators and I, we take him and the other attackers, like everyone else. We’re trying to improve him in every aspect: first touch, passing, attacking the goal. I believe we’re seeing improvements thanks to his determination. Today, he had an important performance, like a great striker. He has more physicality than me. He moves very well in the box, feels the goal. There’s room for improvement in open play and in building the play.”
Finally, Gilardino spoke about the importance of his staff in his work: “Without my staff, I wouldn’t be anyone. Without the guys, the collaborators, I wouldn’t be anyone. Credit goes to everyone. For a coach, having people nearby with whom there’s mutual respect is very important. We also work a lot on the defensive phase. Sometimes we also work with a back four because there are games where it can be useful to change quickly.”
