The Messina coach James Modicaguest of the Tcf studios, drew up an assessment of the season that is being archived, already defined in the press room as “a masterpiece”: “In the summer they thought we were the most likely to be relegated together with the Juventus Stabia. The team was assembled with many promising but inexperienced young people. We had to seek people’s sympathy and empathy with the game, to bring some people to the stadium. These objectives were achieved with great merit.”
The Modica coach and the Roma sporting director in Caserta (photo Paolo Furrer)
Messina was able to go beyond the set objectives: “We never lost our identity even if we weren’t up to the top ten, we competed with everyone. I have always had great faith in this group, built together with the director Domenico Rome. We had accepted the budget made available by the owners, working on the quality of the men, who paid off big time.”
Zeman’s former deputy returned to the difficulties encountered in November, when his bench seemed destined to collapse: “Five o’clock defeats in a row were difficult for everyone to digest. Seven years ago in Messina we had some problems in D, I dreamed of C being different. I didn’t think I wouldn’t be able to use Franco Scoglio for a long time.”
Marco Zunno in action on the lane
The key match in Caserta, on the fourth-placed team’s pitch: “There the group showed me that they cared about our relationship, it was the best moment. Zunno during the match he approached the bench and said to me “Mister, how strong we are, how beautiful we are”. In the first part of the season Marco didn’t understand what I was looking for from him, he was a fish out of water. But I had already appreciated the boy’s skills.”
The transition to 4-2-3-1also inspired by the market: “I had to make a choice. We had signed up Rosafio and Emmausso it was in great condition. There Casertana I considered it the strongest at that moment and therefore we had to invent something. We changed the game system, giving a change to the championship. The kids responded as best they could and we gained self-esteem.”
The coach Giacomo Modica and the striker Michele Emmausso
Modica is back on the great relationship with Emmaussowho scored more in one year than in the three previous championships combined: “When he gets excited he becomes devastating and you have to keep him in check. When he knows he hasn’t done things properly he scales back a little. He is genius and recklessness. We have a deep relationship with great respect but then obviously the stick is also needed. In Catania he didn’t play because I didn’t like how he trained during the week.”
A privileged relationship which, however, cannot influence the companions: “No one disputes the undisputed quality of Michele, which has nothing to do with the C series. Like all fathers I will make mistakes but you can’t always please your children. And I also have to manage 24 other players, with whom I have to be credible. They gave me a lot, but then I made some wrong choices.”
He obtained a reduced playing time compared to expectations Florence: “He has had an important career and has great quality. I expected more from one of the best at a technical level in his role. He was influenced by the fact that in the past he had been employed differently and it is not easy to adapt to very different requests.”
