His season ended with fifteen centres, a haul which he tried to round off in the last match of the season at the “Del Conero” against Lucchese. His seal did not serve to secure salvation, which instead came thanks to the good news received from the “Recchioni” where Fermana and Pescara faced each other, and that’s fine for Alberto Spagnoli. «The first half we didn’t think about it too much – says the striker – because our objective was to win regardless of the result in Fermo. Personally I didn’t ask anything, then more or less halfway through the second half we heard from the bench that Pescara were ahead 3-0 and there, obviously, we relaxed a bit because it was difficult to think of a comeback. Then a bit of tiredness set in, and in the end neither of the two teams had the strength to sink in and push.”
Staying in the category came thanks to the good acceleration in the last few days, with seven points in the last three races. A clear change of direction, on which the red and white bomber expresses himself by focusing more on the different way of understanding his role on the pitch. «Mister Boscaglia mostly asked me to stay central – he explains – without going too far on the offensive front as the waste of energy can be harmful and cause an attacker to lose clarity in front of goal. As regards the differences with those who preceded him, it is an uncomfortable question because each coach has his own way of approaching the job, his own ideas and beliefs. He made us perform: he is there for everyone to see, not only in the match but also during the week, without mentioning names, I saw some of my teammates training with an intensity never seen before. Not that there was a lack of commitment before, but Mr. Boscaglia was able to strike the right chords, prepare the matches well, bring out the best in each of us. And it wasn’t simple, because even if it wasn’t perceived from the outside, everyone was experiencing this precarious ranking situation badly. Now, a burden has been lifted.”
A burden that led Ancona to also go through difficult moments from a mental point of view. «It’s clear that there were moments of discouragement – confirms Spagnoli – but the skill lies precisely in transforming them into energy to react and put them behind us. It is up to the strength of the individuals and that of the group to give 110%: sometimes it is not a guarantee of success, because those who know football know well how unpredictable it is and it does not always repay the efforts made. From a sporting point of view it was hell, a year like this is as good as three normal ones: then one point at a time, one step at a time, we went back up.”
The closure is dedicated to the red and white people. Who elected him as a symbol, due to his nature as a warrior who never backed down, taking the team on his shoulders and scoring very heavy goals. «There have always been many who followed us – comments the red and white striker – and they never lacked encouragement and applause. Emotionally, when I hear them singing that they deserve more it’s painful, but I understand them perfectly, I understand the disappointment because they have always been there with us in good times but above all in bad times. Now we will need to start again, we will need to build to give them the satisfaction they deserve. With me? I renewed, yes, because here in Ancona I was welcomed very well and I found the continuity I was looking for: I worked hard, I had coaches who trusted me and I reconfirmed myself after last year’s goals and it wasn’t something obvious. Then on the future, as I said I chose to stay. We’ll see the coach, we’ll see what the club will say because in our world nothing is taken for granted. But I feel good in the red and white, and this matters a lot to me.”
