Late this morning, sporting director Simone Giacchetta met with reporters for the usual post-winter transfer meeting. The analysis began with the operations that the grey-red club made during the session that ended last Thursday and the underlying philosophy that characterized them.
“The choice,” according to the sporting director, “was made based on the fact that Cremonese is playing a strongly recovering championship, and therefore, in collaboration with the coach, we developed a series of assessments that were then translated into targeted actions. The choice is also determined by the constraint imposed by the list. Therefore, it was decided to release a few overs and then be able to continue recording. Bertolacci’s departure allowed us to immediately close Falletti, a player who proved important from the first moment; then Brambilla, Sekulov and Valery left, and we are glad that we managed to settle in Serie A. The inclusion of goalkeeper Livieri in the lineup is extremely necessary, also because this year we were unlucky with injuries – by the way, we are happy with Saro’s debut, and then concentrated on attacking with Johnsen. These were difficult negotiations that we carried on until the end and for this we must thank the owners who allow us to compete at a high level and on an equal basis with foreign companies: they have once again shown themselves to be close to Cremonese and Cremona. . The last operation completed concerns the defender: we thought about Marrone, who has already played with the coach in both Crotone and Monza: we chose a boy who knows the coach, knows what to do and can play an important role in the game. group. We then completed the transfer of Dore, a 2004 midfielder similar to Collocolo, thereby focusing on the younger players.”
Would you call this market conservative or not?
“I don’t think it’s a conservative market. Perhaps this is true if we think in terms of balance, where it is important not to create friction in a group that has found its way and is achieving results. The guys are good together, they know how to endure and show it match after match. But our market has brought to Cremona players in some roles who are universally recognized for their qualities. I would define it as purposeful, yes.”
The idea of early dismissal of the coach was unexpected compared to the choice made last season…
“You always learn from experience. But the truth is different: the goals and situations are completely different. Last year we were freshmen and we also paid for it; Moreover, the performances led us to believe that we would take an extra step forward to be competitive, but this did not happen. Now, with a team with high values and an important goal, we could not delay: in Serie B, the top 4/5 teams are at the highest level, and this is demonstrated by the investments of Parma, Palermo, Como. : If we stay in such a championship, we risk losing some players from a psychological point of view. The change was a choice made for the benefit of the Cremonese people.”
The Falletti and Johnsen grafts also offer an alternative in terms of modulus…
“True, we assessed this with the coach. We have a very attacking 3-5-2 formation, so we need quality players who change the pace. In fact, we play with one striker, and the players who rotate under him have the skills to play 1 versus 1. Playing with one striker, it was necessary to increase the number of elements in the team capable of supporting this game, also because Buonaiuto and Collocolo will still be out for a while.
The new ones showed that they want to get to Cremona at any cost: this is also satisfaction for the whole environment…
Cremonese are a great little club: they have tradition, they have an important fan base, for which I am grateful because, even though the season did not start in the best way, they always made us feel their affection so much that it looked like an extra player and he had some serious possessions. He is strong.”
Stroppa is very good at rehabilitating players who have had problems in the past…
“Both the coach and the psychological aspect are important: the category helps players who know it very well and have quality. “In addition, this type of play sheds light on those who take to the field and enhances their quality: Stroppa has a huge credit for this journey.”
You signed Marrone, but you were dealing with Ferrari. Did you promise to talk about this at the end of the season?
“He is the captain of Sassuolo. He had the opportunity to contact us, he appreciated it and considered it useful for his journey, we tried to the end, but it happens that sometimes things don’t go as we would like. The main thing is to continue the journey. We didn’t talk to him about the future. And it is important for us to find a functional player like Marrone, who gives us the opportunity to increase the quality and experience of the department.”
A protest a few months ago, the director needs to take the pebbles out of his shoes?
“Let’s not joke, there are no stones that can be removed here: I have been part of this world for too many years not to know that the only thing that matters is the good of Cremonese and we always try to do our best to achieve this goal. For many, this was their first experience in Serie A, and it’s normal that not everything worked out the way we would like. Now we’re looking for another chance to enjoy it and play to our fullest.”
On a personal level, how important was your experience of playing in Serie A in shaping this team?
“Three years ago we had a group that took a different path. Serie B Cremonese in previous years has featured championships that had to suffer in order to achieve salvation. In agreement with the coach, it was decided to work with young high-level players who today demonstrate their qualities in the top division. Once upon a time in Serie A, we tried to organize the team differently, gaining experience and finding a way to strengthen this group, giving it the necessary continuity so that it could compete now.”
Primavera dominates the championship thanks to the sporting reform, how do you intend to manage young players in the future?
“On the bench at Lecco sat Della Rovere, a boy who grew up here and attracts attention despite the restrictions; Now children are free almost every year, and this disincentivizes the work of those who invest in kindergartens. Cremonese in this area has never looked at the ratings, but is committed to helping children grow: this reform could rob clubs like ours, as well as other small clubs that will pay the price in favor of the big ones. The kindergarten is an important asset of the company; behind each boy there is a lot of work. With the reform, one-sided membership no longer exists, and comparison and direct negotiations become indispensable. Of course, this is not the best solution for 16-17 year olds: it loses the basis of sacrifice and work, and this law, which applies to football, risks having consequences for the youth sector. Some of our guys are attracted to big clubs; in this case we cannot follow the logic of money, but we want to compete by offering attention and special paths for each participant. We cannot, but above all we do not want to consider our young players with market logic: for us, these are boys whom we love and whom we want to develop in order to have them in the first team in the future. Della Rovere, for example, is an attentive guy: we continue on our path, trying to improve it and make it grow. Training with the first team and the benches in Serie B demonstrate how much the club believes in this path. This applies to him the same as to others: then families in this dimension will have to understand how much a child is worth.
Cremonese is the only local property among the top teams in Serie B…
“This aspect is fundamental. Our property, which in some ways resembles the glorious football owners of the past, despite the emergence on the national stage of investors with great economic opportunities, wants to continue to give strength to its Cremonese people and its Cremona. We should be forever grateful to him because we represent something unique in football that no longer exists today, but with the modernity of those who keep up with the times.”
Who is most feared in the fight for direct promotion?
“For Parma, the rest will fight to the end. I believe that we will move towards the championship finals with clear minds and strong hearts. For our part, we will try to grow and improve further after the great recovery, but a very difficult road lies ahead: direct confrontations will matter.”
In Lecco at the end of the match Stroppa celebrated with the players under Curva, what impact did that have on you? Cremo is strong mentally and technically, and he has something special in defense: do you agree?
“The coach’s celebration gave us a nice, positive scene: it shows how united we are and how we are all on the same level. We suffer together and we rejoice together: the coach and the players are important actors, and it is right that they occupy a central place. On another issue, Cremo has made significant progress and we expect him to continue in the same vein. It will be a difficult championship, among the best teams we have the best defense, but perhaps the least effective attack, but as long as we are ok, we have the quality to decide matches.”
Was Valery released “for nothing” or did something come in return?
“Valery was not released because he was never captured. Instead, they saw fit to guarantee him this opportunity: Serie A cannot be denied. We will always root for him, despite some decisions that the club does not agree with.”
Defense is the department that has had the least interference in the transfer market. Are we trying to ensure continuity in the future?
“In this category, our elements are the absolute heroes. Bianchetti and Ravanelli are guys who know each other and have the right understanding. When playing with three, different ideas compared to the past, stability was found with the base 11, but we saw how the insertions of Mayer, Lokhosvili and others contributed to achieving results. It’s important that the players convey something when they come in: Antov, for example, is a real driving force, as are Coda and Vazquez.”
Source: Tutto Mercato Web
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