The former Nerazzurri lives in Salerno and also supports the rossoblù: “Barella’s team will be tired and satisfied, it can be done”
CAGLIARI. A Uefa Cup with Inter, a Scudetto with Juventus, but the heart divided in half between Salernitana, where he lived most of his career, and Cagliari, the team from his homeland. Salvatore Fresi, 49, hopes the impossible, and that is that the two teams will be saved. “But I think one will end down from the tower – explains the former Gallura player who lives and works in Salerno -. With a slight advantage for Nicola’s team, due to that very precious extra point in the standings and a calendar that seems slightly better to me than the one awaiting the rossoblù ».
Fresi is surprised by the negative turn that the Cagliari championship has taken. “I can’t explain why he’s fighting not to back down,” he says. The staff tells me that they should be among the top ten in Serie A, but anything can happen in football and obviously many negative things have happened to Cagliari that we do not know ».
The first obstacle facing the players coached by Agostini, who Mazzarri took over a week ago, is one of the most difficult ones, Inter. «A very complicated match – he admits -, but for both teams, mind you. Because if it is true that the Nerazzurri have a much superior team, it must also be emphasized that having to win a match at all costs certainly does not simplify the situation ».
In fact, Cagliari is equally forced to try to take the three points. “Yes, it’s true, but the rossoblùs have some advantages – explains Salvatore Fresi -. Meanwhile, the home factor, with an audience that will be overwhelmingly in favor of Cagliari. Then let’s add the great heat and, again, the fatigue accumulated by Inter in the final of the Italian Cup against Juventus which lasted until extra time. And then there will certainly be a sense of satisfaction in some of the Nerazzurri players, something even unconscious: oh well, we won the Italian Cup, if we don’t reach the Scudetto, however, we took something home ».
In the race for salvation, however, not only Cagliari and Salernitana are involved. «Well, Venice seems to be gone – underlines the former defender who grew up in Arzachena -, while Genoa also has some small chances. And then Spezia and above all Sampdoria could also end up in the dust, which probably has to face the most difficult calendar. Having said all this, returning to Cagliari, one cannot ignore the fact that the rossoblù must win at all costs against Inter because otherwise, even with a draw, things would be very difficult. I am convinced that Salernitana will not go beyond equal in Empoli, a difficult field, but then at home she will certainly win against Bologna ».
So Fresi, as a good Sardinian, always has an eye for Cagliari. “Those born on the island cannot fail to look with affection on the team that belonged to Gigi Riva and which represents a symbol for all of us”.
But as a player there was practically never the possibility of a transfer to the Rossoblu. «I lived a messed up career – says Fresi laughing -, but I got some great satisfactions. Of course, I would have loved to have played in Cagliari too, but there was just a meeting once with Cellino, who told me that he wanted to take me with Branca. Then he didn’t do anything about it. “