The coach Alberto Aquilani, with the Sala and Arena players, comments on the final match of this season against Ascoli, taking stock of the entire championship. Below are the statements from the Del Duca press room.
Aquilani: “This match was the reflection of the season, the reflection of what the team offers. At times we do what we should do well, but we are not very incisive. We do little in the two areas and if we want to get results we have to be better there. It’s been a limitation all year. Obviously this wasn’t the game to solve the problems. I hate going home after losing another game. I don’t like it, I’m disappointed and frustrated and it becomes unpleasant. I take my responsibilities, but I’m not happy at all. I’m sorry because losing like this doesn’t taste like anything. The defense was a problem, we finished with the third worst result of the tournament. We need to improve it one hundred percent for next season. It’s been a season of ups and downs. My future? I don’t want to be cloying. I have already said how I think about my future. Pisa deserves, deserves something more and I have to understand if I too can be the person to give something more to Pisa. These numbers need to be improved, it was a year in which I understood that I need to improve too. We will meet with the club and understand whether we should continue together, but not because he wants to leave. I have an important ambition but here we must do the good of Pisa. If I perceive that I am the right person I will try to fill the glass, I have a contract but I don’t want to hurt Pisa. There is a wonderful relationship with Giovanni Corrado and with Knaster, we will try to make the best decisions for this club. How many people see the glass as half full? But this glass needs to be filled. I thank the fans, despite the problems that occurred they made me feel love for this important shirt. I have always tried to do my best. I worked 24 hours a day together with my staff.”
Room: “Great evening that I have dreamed of all my life. A dream come true and I hope it is the first of many to achieve the dream. I’m sorry because finishing with a victory would have been nice. An important season for me on a personal level has ended. I thank the coach, the group and my teammates. I didn’t expect to come in tonight, I’m honest. The path that brought me to the field? I can say that I made some bench games and I will also play tomorrow against Napoli in the direct clash to finish third. It was a great experience, I carry Masucci with me, an idol and fantastic man, a precious person. Every day seeing him train pushed me to steal something from him. He was a master. I think this season was positive anyway, I don’t know if the playoffs were the goal. However, the group has always been united.”
Arena: “We conceded a goal with the first shot on goal, unfortunately this year it has happened often. We immediately recovered, phrasing more in the middle and in front. It’s a shame because we weren’t able to finish well in front of goal. We wanted to win to conclude with a victory for the 23 fans who came to the trip and were close to us. My balance of the season? Little by little, however, thanks to my teammates and the coach, I have gained more confidence and I am excited for next season. In the Pisa championship, however, we could certainly have done something more. We believed in these playoffs, but then everything vanished. We always believed it until the end. It’s great in Pisa, I can’t complain about anything, I still have three years left on my contract. I want to improve further for next season. It was a formative season, for me this was a new reality. In the last few games especially I feel like I have risen in level and I want to start from here.”
