Silvano Benedetti was interviewed exclusively by TorinoGranata.it. Benedetti grew up as a footballer in the Turin youth team and after moving to the first team in the ’83/’84 season he gained experience in Parma, Palermo and Ascoli before returning to the Granata where he remained from 1987 to 1992, winning the Mitropa Cup and reaching the UEFA Cup final. Having hung up his boots, in 2001 he returned to Turin and as manager he was responsible in particular for the football school until 2023. We spoke with him about today’s match at lunchtime between the Granata and the new Champions Inter ‘Italy.
With Frosinone, Torino has once again demonstrated that it misses opportunities at good times, today, with five days left of the championship, it faces Inter. The Granata are in 10th place, three points behind Napoli who are in 8th. How much hope do they still have of going to Europe?
“With Inter it’s one of those games that doesn’t need great concentration because it’s already there automatically and going to play at San Siro is a stage that energizes any player. In light of the progress of Toro’s performances against the big teams, the team has never disappointed and has always done well so I think it is a match in which they can take advantage of a moment of justified relaxation from Inter. Then the quality of the Nerazzurri champions cannot be discussed and this could be the only negative note, but a positive scenario could open up for Toro, firstly, because he has always done well against the big teams and, secondly, because there could be a moment of relaxation from them”.
Two of the most impenetrable defenses in Serie A face each other, Inter is 1st and has conceded only 18 goals and Torino is 4th with 29. It won’t be easy to score, but the Nerazzurri are the most prolific in the category with 79 goals while the Granata are struggling a lot in fact they have only managed 31.
“I hope it’s not easy to score for Inter. The defenses are both important and it will be really nice to see how our defense can behave in yet another test of the season against a formidable attack like Inter’s.”
Will Buongiorno lead the Torino defense, who you brought to the squad as a child, a good opportunity for Alessandro also with a view to being called up to the European Championship?
“For him it is a further showcase and once again he will be able to demonstrate his value”.
Maybe the Toro fans won’t be very happy that he can show off, given that he is already a lot talked about in terms of the transfer market.
“I know I know”.
Torino’s attack is a bit dull and if Zapata doesn’t score it’s unlikely the others will.
“I am of the opinion that Torino are good attackers, unfortunately we ran into some matches that didn’t yield as much as they should have. Zapara is a given but Sanabria and Vlasic are all players who still have great qualities and Pellegri himself, when he’s well, is a good striker. Sometimes he scores a goal in an unexpected match and in others he struggles.”
Linetty will not be there because he is disqualified, while Ricci returns. There is Ilic who was not very convincing with Frosinone, even though he was returning from injury and without playing for 50 days, and perhaps Juric will clear Tameze from the defence. Torino’s midfield will have to deal with an important player like Inter’s, what will they have to do to get the upper hand?
“First of all, Torino will have to be a compact and short team because if the opponent suffers in midfield they will come to the rescue to support the defenders and attackers. The players will have to help each other and so, sometimes, the difficulty of a department can be overcome.”
Without Linetty, the player who recovers a lot of balls is no longer available, even if Ricci will take care of it.
“Yes, Ricci and Ilic are players who are better at expressing themselves when they have the ball at their feet. If Tameze acts in the middle of the pitch he will be able to help contain Inter.”
But given Tameze’s experience against Inter’s attack, wouldn’t a defensive line made up of him, Buongiorno and Rodriguez be better?
“Certainly against a team like Inter the first barrier is that of the defense and if they have more experience it can be an advantage. Sometimes it is the coach’s feelings in the week before the match that make him decide who to field so it will depend on how he saw Lovato and Tameze and whoever gives him a greater feeling of reliability will be fielded. Tameze’s experience certainly does not go unnoticed and he may have an advantage over Lovato, however if the latter was more energetic and lively in training the coach does not let the sensations slip away and would have an extra player in midfield given that Tameze is capable both to carry out the defensive phase and to set up, perhaps restarting the action immediately after recovering the ball.”
On the flanks, Bellanova on the right and Lazaro and Vojvoda on the left will compete for the position?
“My feeling is that Vojvoda could be more advantaged because he can play a more defensive role than Lazaro, let’s not forget that we are going to play at San Siro and not against the last team in the table so a player who can provide extra help even in defensive phase can be important.”
What absolutely shouldn’t Torino do in this match?
“He must not close down because when you close down against certain types of players, like those of Inter, they always find the knockout blow. I think that Torino, as they have always done, must go and play their game on equal terms, aware of the game they have always implemented by pressing the opponent and trying to restart because if you close down against Inter it is really difficult to bring home the result because they always find the shot.”
From a European perspective, is this really the last resort for Torino?
“Torino’s path would be further complicated if it doesn’t go well today, but I’m optimistic that at least one place will be brought home because Inter is undoubtedly a great team but there is always a moment of relaxation after having achieved a goal like the championship. So with the pressure from Torino and a bit of relaxation from Inter, I am convinced that Torino can do well.”
Then there would still be Bologna, Verona, Milan and Atalanta to face.
“Already three teams fighting for the Champions League and one for survival which should not be underestimated: we need to score points in every match”.
