First words as coach of Catania for Domenico Toscano, who has been in the city since yesterday and who was presented to the press after having officially signed a two-year contract with an option for a third year:
“For me it is an important day. I thank the club, the president, the vice president, the director for the trust placed in me by entrusting me with the technical guidance of a glorious club. For me it is an honor but also a burden to represent this club, I believe so much in hard work and I promise that it will not be lacking. It will be a challenging year, we know that. With good and less good moments where we will all have to be united. When I had the opportunity to speak with the director and the vice president I immediately felt the desire to do important things in this city and for this club. I saw in them my own motivation, which it fits in an extraordinary way with Catania”.
“I’m starting a new adventure, I’m sure it will be full of satisfaction. We must first of all transfer the sense of belonging to this shirt and city. There’s a lot of work to be done and that’s what I like best. In building the squad we will have to give a very specific identity, making each of us available to make our maximum commitment, setting up a competitive team for the championship we will face. We have been in contact with the director for some time regarding the squad to be set up. We want to make as few mistakes as possible. We haven’t left the office since yesterday, The one who makes the least mistakes wins, not the best. Our assessments are in-depth, 360 degrees giving priority to human values because the man comes before the footballer. To build a strong group you need a strong identity”.
“I don’t look behind. What was done in Cesena will remain in history because we produced extraordinary numbers, but now I want to think about Catania. I am a coach who loves challenges. Tuscano always seeks new challenges, Catania is very beautiful and fascinating as a challenge in a club that I don’t consider Lega Pro but of a high level. When I came here as an opponent I always felt the stadium vibrate. I have met people from Catania all over the world. I also remember the banner displayed in the Champions League final in Dortmund, and then 15 thousand season ticket holders in C and D are seen in very few contexts.”
“It will be important to try to sew the right dress. Playing well, which for me means knowing what to do exactly in each phase of the game. There must be no lack of rhythm and intensity because now it’s football made up of duels, one against one. Especially on a mental level, Catania will have to be strongespecially in the less beautiful moments you must have strong mental resistance, knowing how to react and move forward with intensity and the awareness you need to have to achieve an important result. The ambition of our club and the enthusiasm of the people must be the cornerstones to be fueled every day. You fuel your enthusiasm through what you show on the pitch, showing it to the public a team that people must identify with and fall in love with”.
“There are years where it is believed that group B is the most difficult, others in which the same is thought of group A or C. In group C the environmental situations are highlighted more, a lot of passion and enthusiasm in the stands with the competitive aspect a little higher than the other groups. But the truth is that getting out of this category is difficult regardless of the group. What if I play with the basic 3-5-2? Game systems are now journalistic aspects and numbers. My teams start from a three-man base but the outfit we should tailor will also depend on the use of two midfielders, an attacking midfielder and two strikers, two midfielders, two three midfielders and a striker. We are working to find the right features to develop our game ideas.”
“In my winning experiences this has always stood out strong identity and sense of belonging, in general the alchemy that is created between club, team, environment and fans. Now we must first of all close the points gap from last season’s first place. Taking the field with a winning mentality, as I understand it, means aim to improve and grow every day, then winning becomes a consequence. It took two years to get the B in Cesena because the first season ended in second place -2 from the top, in the second we understood where to improve without making the same mistakes”.
“Young? I don’t like talking about young and old. If I always consider a young person as such he will never grow up, young people are an integral part of the group. We have clear ideas and there is sharing in this too. If I’m from Catania, we have no preclusions on young or old. The young person is the one who can give you more energy, light-heartedness, rhythm, you can shape them as you want because they are virgins of ideas”.
“With the director we didn’t talk about names but about characteristics. You can also make evaluations on the Catania players who played last season, projecting them into the next season with new ideas and a different technical project. I mean people who perhaps feel the responsibility for a year that could have gone better and want redemptionto give Catania and Catania a lot of satisfaction, we are making many 360 degree evaluations not only from a technical point of view but also through the many information from last season and from those who really want to demonstrate their value. We are trying to shorten the time to market. We will arrive at the first match of the Italian Cup and before that at the training camp with at least 60-70% of the staff already made up. It will be an important period because in retreat you lay the foundations, build the foundations of a year. We will work hard to shorten the time.”
“I chose Catania because it is a city that gives you a lot, in these two days that I have been here I have understood that we were only talking about Sant’Agata and Catania. We will be the architects of Catania’s destiny. We hope that Sant’Agata will give us a hand (smiles, ed.). The pressures are nice, they give you adrenaline. Those who do this job and live on adrenaline, daily work, passion, know that these give you the right motivation in these squares. But rather than pressure I would talk about responsibility. Pressure is an aspect that you create yourself, when you are not aware of what you can give, but you must always have responsibility. That doesn’t let you sleep at night even when you win, because you’re waiting for the next game to win, or when you lose, immediately projecting yourself onto the other game. I can’t wait to start the season in a wonderful city with sun, sea, mountains, which in some ways is very similar to my hometown.”
“It’s difficult to describe me, generally others define me. I am a southern man, sometimes proud, who demands a lot from himself and others. I may appear gruff, I probably am on the pitch, but off it I’m very helpful and I give a lot to a person who gives me certain sensations. I also believe a lot in interactions with the players. For me, that player who goes an extra mile because someone took care of him from a personal point of view is important. I really believe in interpersonal relationships which then make it easier for you to work in the field. If that alchemy of mutual trust is created, you can convey whatever you want to the players. It’s my thought. I really believe in attention to detail, in human values, in the relationship you manage to establish, in the work culture, in the groupin having a single goal to achieve. Catania comes before I. Getting out of this category is the most difficult thing to do but we will try.”
“Coach, sporting director, club and all the figures who work around the club are very important. Each of us must bring a point, me a few more, others a few less. I have already seen great passion in all the members I have met in these two days, from the gardener to those who work in the gym and in society. This is very important because high-level championships are held in the context of a club where everyone gives their contribution every day.”
“It is also important to immediately understand where you work, what the people of Catania want, and choose players suited to the Catania team. I want the players to be an inspiration for the young fan who will become a fan of many away games, in this way you leave your mark regardless of the result. People must fall in love with Catania’s new group. Spring? I believe it is necessary to also take a look at the Primavera, also because during the year between defections and injuries, drawing on your youth sector and discovering new resources for the club and team is important.”
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