Following Hellas Verona’s 6-1 loss to Atalanta, the club’s sporting director Sean Sogliano stepped in to speak to the media in place of head coach Paolo Zanetti. Sogliano addressed the team’s performance, the coach’s position, and the challenges ahead for Verona.
Sogliano began by acknowledging Atalanta’s strength, referencing their recent match against Celtic: “I was here on Wednesday for the Celtic game, it should have ended 5-0 for Atalanta. I don’t need to celebrate their strength; I need to think about our team, which is having a difficult season and needs to raise its head. We know who we are. Today isn’t an easy day, but football gives you the chance to redeem yourself because in two days we have another very difficult match. It’s right that the coach and players went under the curve; our fans are unique.”
When asked about Zanetti’s absence from the post-match interview, Sogliano explained: “I know he’s a very emotional guy, this defeat weighs on him, he’s taking responsibility. I think in a match like this, he has his responsibilities as we all do, those who played and those who didn’t enter. We need to find the will to fight even against opponents stronger than us, and there are many. Before we die, some time must pass.”
Regarding new signing Amin Sarr, who scored Verona’s lone goal, Sogliano commented: “We signed him at the end of the transfer window, he wasn’t in good condition because he hadn’t done pre-season training. The coach played him because he could have troubled Atalanta: he scored a great goal, at least he got some satisfaction.”
When pressed about the possibility of a coaching change if results don’t improve in the upcoming match against Lecce, Sogliano stood firm: “We are a club that, before making a decision of this type, has shown that we always fight with our coach, and it will be the same this time.”
