As Torino prepare to face Lazio in their upcoming Serie A match, manager Paolo Vanoli addressed the media in a pre-match press conference. The Granata are looking to bounce back after their Coppa Italia defeat against Empoli and continue their positive momentum in the league.
Vanoli began by emphasizing the importance of the match against Lazio, stating, “Torino must always be ready, we know we are facing a team that is doing very well at the moment, we saw it in the Europa League. It is an important match for our path. If we want to grow we must go through performance, which can be done in many ways and depends on the calibre of the opponent. It will always remain a priority of mine.”
Reflecting on the Coppa Italia loss, Vanoli stressed the need to learn from their mistakes: “We must not make the same mistakes as we did against Empoli. We wanted to advance at all costs, but the disappointment must be transformed into positive energy to be used in the championship. I am convinced that the team will take a step forward.”
The coach highlighted the team’s progress and the support from the fans: “The players must be proud of what they have done up to this point, they have given something to our fans. But the journey is long and we must be ready to overcome even the difficulties together with these magnificent fans, they are the essence of football.”
Vanoli also emphasized his focus on improvement rather than league standings: “I don’t look at the standings, I make my fans look at them. The best part, I repeat, is what we are giving. But we are a humble team and we have a lot of work to do. The road is long.”
Discussing individual players, Vanoli praised midfielder Ricci: “Any player who can play under pressure is an indispensable player. That’s real football. Sometimes when I talk about technique I mean not opening a control because of the presence of a man five meters away. We are lucky to have Ricci.”
The Torino manager concluded by expressing his respect for Lazio coach Baroni: “I had the pleasure of winning a Serie B championship with him in Verona. He has great football intelligence, I’m very happy he had this opportunity because he is a coach who has done a lot of apprenticeship. When the referee blows the whistle it will be a battle.”
