Udinese, Cioffi’s charge: “Let’s think about getting 21 points”

“But we must avoid making 0”: the coach asks the team to accept the challenge and postpones the contract argument at the end of the season

UDINE. She just tells a little lie that her legs are short due to arithmetic: “I think we’re safe.” To tell the truth, one of the last three down there can still overtake Udinese, but it is objectively science fiction and Gabriele Cioffi showed yesterday that he much prefers reality, marked by the rhythms of the championship: “Now I’m only thinking of Salernitana », He replied on several occasions in front of questions on different topics: those on the motivations of Udinese, on his expiring contract, on the Juventus prospects in the next five weeks, the last of this championship.

“The challenge was to reconfirm”. If as a footballer he had been a defender, as a coach Cioffi is also skilled in dribbling. The “quota 50” goal never appears in his statements. “What we said with the boys during the week and before the match is that it is no longer a question of winning or not winning matches, but accepting challenges”, underlines the Florentine coach to describe the approach to a match that in the first time proved difficult: «Empoli are an uncomfortable team, with clear playing principles.

In the second half we used what we had prepared: I am lucky enough to coach a group that understands the advice and notes so things have changed ».

At the end there was an air of celebration in Friuli. «Better to work still to try to score 21 points or to avoid making 0. My contract? I’m in love with Friuli, I’m fine, my family will come here to spend Easter, but I don’t want this story to be exploited and linked to my desire to have another contract. The Curva Nord was thrilling and to be rewarded in this way by the fans you need a winning mentality: it doesn’t mean always winning, it means doing everything to win.

I’ll take care of the rest on May 23 after the championship is over. I have traveled half the world with high expectations, I have learned to live thinking about the next match. So I will keep my head down until the last second, then if the club wants to renew the contract it will offer it to me ».

In the midst of many flashes on the protagonists. Samardzic, for example: “I think he is a player who has been penalized, who knew how to suffer and who will now have opportunities to exploit.” Or Nuytinck, who only entered the final and then immediately on the pitch to train, as soon as the match was over: “Captain you are and stay even if you don’t have the armband for a day: his attitude is commendable”.

And then Pereyra, who came out prematurely: «He has a muscular fatigue that we trust will remain fatigue, in any case if the“ Tucu ”doesn’t make it, someone else will play well».

Finally Deulofeu: «I’m happy for him, he hasn’t done anything yet. And he knows it … ». Here is who Cioffi must have shook hands for the “quota 50” operation.