Bologna coach Thiago Motta says they are a ‘pain in the ass’ for other Serie A teams this season because no one expected them to do so well. The Rossoblu coach was speaking during a press conference about the possibility of Bologna qualifying for next seasons Champions League, and shared his thoughts on the progress his team has made this season:
“Let’s be clear, since the beginning of the season, we have never been written off in any race for Europe. The Champions League is a normal obsession for other clubs, like Inter, Milan, Juventus, Napoli, Lazio, Atalanta, or Roma…
“This obsession has never existed for us. At the moment, we are the ‘pain in the ass’ of this championship because no one expected us to be in this position in the standings. That’s why we’re good for football: we’ve brought competition, competitiveness, and we’ve earned our place. We intend to remain disruptors until the end, but without any obsession. And when I use the term ‘rompicoglioni,’ I don’t mean that we’re ugly, dirty, or bad, on the contrary… We are determined, focused, and eager to achieve our goal. We will do everything to bring joy to our fans.”
“I spoke with my players today about the fact that the games against Empoli, which we won deservedly in the end, and the one against Frosinone, which ended in a draw, cannot be the defining moments of our season: we weren’t champions after Empoli, and we didn’t ruin everything for not winning against Frosinone – continues Motta -. However, they were disappointed after the last match because they always play to win, even in training. This makes me proud because they are a group of players who know what they want, but they must understand that a non-victory is not a tragedy. In this sense, I want to emphasize that discussions about how the two points dropped against Frosinone could prevent us from qualifying for the Champions League are delusional. Now, however, we focus on the next match, which we must experience to the fullest both on the field and in the stands. We must seize this moment and give our all.”
