Hopes are few, destiny is in the hands of others, but for the Pro Patria L’categorical imperative is to believe the playoffs until the final whistle and not finish the sampled with the sensation of having a bitter taste in the mouth. Ironically, for tomorrow’s opponents, that is Pro Sesto, the situation is similar, but with the risk of not even competing playout and therefore go directly to D, in amateur football.
In the afternoon of Sunday 28 April there Pro Patria and the other 59 teams of Serie C in fact they are found at the gates of the last ones 90 minute clock, then the curtain will fall on the 2023/24 regular season, thus waiting for the long haul post-season of May. On the eve oflast day of the championship there are still many teams waiting to know the own future: the accounts have been closed for weeks now regarding direct promotions and relegations (in Group A they will farewell in the opposite direction Mantua And Alexandria) The calendar of the play-offs for Serie B (playoffs) and those for the D (playout) are still to be completed and, exactly like two years, the Pro Patria can still hope to be able to take the racelast train available to prolong one’s journey and face – in this case – theAtalanta Under 23 in the direct elimination race for the cadet category.
In fact, if on the one hand last week’s defeat against Virtus Verona in the last match in Busto Arsizio still allowed the tigers to mister Riccardo Colombo to tick the primary objective, that is salvation and permanence among professionals, on the other hand the possibilities of raising the bar have been almost irremediably compromised, but not yet completely nullified. At least according to the math.
The Trent (48 points) and the same Virtus Verona (47) are currently ahead of Pro Patria (46) and this means that against Pro Sesto tomorrow – 4.30 pm – the white-blue victory alone may not be enough for the decisive “counter-overtaking” (Trento would necessarily have to lose, Virtus would at least draw). Not to mention that the team of Sesto San Giovanni (32 points) will take the field to avoid the last one direct relegation, which would happen in the event of at least 8 points behind Pergolettese (42 points) once the championship is over. At the moment the gap is 10, which however could still be reduced to 7, which is why even for the Milanese, victory may not be enough.
COLOMBO: “WIN THE MATCH AND WATCH THE RESULTS FROM THE OTHER PITCHES”
Little tactics, many reasons. Thus on the eve of the match the Pro Patria coach said Riccardo Colombo he wants to keep his group’s attention high, while hoping for a miraculous combination of useful results from other fields for make a season excellent until Christmas below the threshold of mediocrity and perhaps even sufficiency. In any case, they were saved by the good return round and several away victories.
“WINNING WOULD MAKE THE SEASON EVEN BETTER”
«We have to live this match like an opportunity to go and make the playoffs and for this we must go into the field with the desire to win the game. With the playoffs the season would become even better. When you reach it a better goal than the one set at the beginning of the year it is something very positive. The mentality must therefore be this: win the match and see the results of the other fields.”
“NOTHING WITHOUT START”
«We must leave no stone unturned. Tough and tough to win this match. Regrets? Yes sure. This must also be an important motivational push. I don’t want tomorrow’s match to be the end of the season where you go out on the field to see your opponents win. We’ve been banging on about this all week. We will try to play and win our game.”
“THE FANS GIVE US MOTIVATION TO DO WELL, WE DON’T HAVE TO BE SATIED IF WE WANT TO GROW”
«Tomorrow’s match is the one that will make us say “we had a good championship”. Tomorrow I want that type of match from the team, not a sated team that is satisfied with salvation. Such a sated mentality will never make us grow. We need to be ambitious. We all have to grow, me first and foremost as well as the whole team together with me. We have everything else in the safe, we need to raise the bar or at least try. Then if Trento wins their match we won’t be able to do anything else about it. Tomorrow night I don’t want there to be any regrets. For us it is the last hope of being able to do something great. They will come tomorrow two buses of fans and this thing owes us great motivation.”
