Hellas Verona manager Paolo Zanetti addressed the media ahead of Saturday’s match against Atalanta in Bergamo. When asked if he felt responsible after the loss to Monza, Zanetti responded:
“I’m not a lightning rod, I’m the coach and I always am, both when things are going well and when they’re not. This job has burdens and honors, and I will always defend my team to the hilt. I’m in the trenches with them, I fight for my team and I will always protect them, that’s how I’m made. Every day I work to improve myself and to help my players grow. Looking back at the Monza match, I saw a good game, not extraordinary, in which we would have deserved at least a draw for most of the match. Now we must not lose our self-esteem, we continue to believe in what we are doing, because the path is there and it’s right. We always have to give 110% to get points and we know it, but if we lose we have to do it because of the skill of others, not because of our own faults, this is the minimum condition.”
Regarding potential lineup changes, Zanetti said: “We need to make an evaluation also because on Tuesday we’ll play another important match right away. On Saturday we’ll face Atalanta, a team that’s difficult to describe because of how strong they are and the history their coach has made in our football. We have to think game by game. For me, all players are important, and everyone must fight for their place and take advantage of the opportunities available, as Ghilardi, Belahyane and Lambourde have done.”
On the team’s approach against Atalanta, Zanetti stated: “We’re looking for a great performance from a character and team point of view. We need to overcome some naivety we commit, because for example we’re mid-table in terms of shots conceded, but we’re third-last for goals conceded. The naivety we’ve committed shouldn’t call into question what we’ve done so far. We need certainties: we’re looking for a great performance to arrive with the right mindset for the next game as well.”
Regarding player fitness and rotation, Zanetti explained: “There are evaluations to be made beyond the fact that the best possible lineup will take the field. We have players who underperformed in the last game also because they came from 90-minute matches played with their national teams; we can’t ask them to play six games in 20 days. We’ll make some changes probably, but it won’t be a turnover. I’ll make physical evaluations to best face this cycle of games.”
On stopping Atalanta’s attack, Zanetti commented: “Against great teams with these players, we need to play united with an important defensive phase, because they bring many players to score. They are a dynamic team with a coach who I consider to be number one. We’ll have to work hard together, go on the field with a humble attitude, to limit the teamwork of our opponents which is the result of years of work, well-established, while we are at the beginning of our journey.”
Zanetti concluded by discussing the team’s lack of draws so far: “Sometimes we’d like to draw, but if I can choose, I prefer to win a few more games and lose others. I think the draw will come too, because every point counts. I’m happy that my team thinks about winning, even risking something, but we must be balanced.”
