CARRARA. The Arena Garibaldi in Pisa, with open doors, will host Carrarese in their first part of the adventure in the next Serie B. The club has expressed great satisfaction with the solution found together with the police headquarters and municipal administrations. Furthermore, the Azzurri will play behind open doors, so they will be able to enjoy the support of the public in Pisa too. The Arena Garibaldi will host Carrarese’s first matches, starting with the debut in the Italian Cup against Catania. Hopefully no more than a month and a half of exile, waiting for the restyling work on the Stadio dei Marmi to begin and finish. In fact, for Serie B the minimum capacity is 5,500 seats. In a note, Susanna Donatella Campione, FdI senator elected in Tuscany, comments: «I thank the municipal administration of Pisa which, in the person of the mayor Michele Conti, has assured me of its availability to host next season’s Carrarese matches at the interior of the Arena Garibaldi stadium in Pisa, for the time of the renovation works of the Stadio dei Marmi in Carrara. The works will adapt the capacity to 5500 seats, the minimum capacity required, and will consist of other already necessary interventions which have become urgent after the team’s entry into Serie B”.
Meanwhile, Mattia Finotto says: «It was an indescribable emotion. I still haven’t realized what I’ve done. The playoffs go by very quickly, because they are played every three days and only now are we starting to enjoy it all. However it is beautiful. We are experiencing great emotions and it is even more beautiful to share them with an entire city.”
How do you win the playoffs?
«It seems obvious to say it, but the secret of everything is in the group. That is fundamental, because with eight games in less than a month, they can’t always play the same old ones. There must be a large squad, made up of a solid group, all on the same side, regardless of whether we play or not. Everyone fought for a common goal. This is the thing that made the difference. I have always been very confident on this aspect, even before starting the playoffs. I knew the strength of the team and the qualities of our group.”
With Capello injured, you played practically all of the playoffs, apart from the return against Juve, when you were replaced by Giannetti due to suspension. Where did you find so much physical and mental energy?
«That goal by Giannetti against Juventus was decisive, because it allowed us to go through. I say this to make people understand the strength of our team. The efforts in such a context are above all mental, because you continually have to face important matches from inside or outside. I have always remained confident and calm before matches, I have never been too agitated or tense.”
Your decisive goal against Vicenza was born from a scheme studied in training. How much did you train on those situations?
«A lot and always, not just during the playoffs. Clearly they don’t always succeed, but we managed to score many goals from dead balls. In detail, the scheme used in the final was perfect and allowed us to win.”
Here at Carrarese you exploded with an important personal score, 10 goals in 22 games. Does this success represent a revenge?
«In Serie C I have always had a good goal average. Three years ago I had a knee injury that kept me out for a year. When I came back I struggled a bit. Finally here in Carrara I found all the perfect components. However, I don’t want to use the term “relaunch myself”, because I don’t think I need to relaunch myself in anything.”
There were many spectators on Sunday.
«Carrara literally exploded. The number of spectators at home and away has increased more and more and this gives us enormous pleasure. There has always been enthusiasm here, but we are pleased to have managed to recreate so many numbers around the team. This is a merit that we want to underline.”
Carrara will return to Serie B after 76 years of waiting. It will be a whole new world for Apuan football. You have already experienced that reality. How do you deal with cadetry?
«It is a very difficult and very competitive championship. Every year there are teams that set out for important goals and end up relegated. Apart from the two or three largest, at the beginning all the teams start to save themselves and then see how it goes during the season. I was lucky enough to make the leap from C to A in two years and the group has always made the difference, even if we then need players with quality and experience in the category. There have been many cases of teams that make the double leap or in any case do well, because they bring with them the group and the enthusiasm of promotion, with the right reinforcements.”
