The National Team Coach Gianmarco Pozzecco spoke to La Gazzetta dello Sport in view of the start of the Pre-Olympic. This evening the first race with the Bahraintip-off at 11:30 p.m. Italian time. “The first game is always the most complicated from an emotional point of view, especially for a team like this that cares a lot about it. In the little time available, we thought more about creating our own way of playing than about our opponents. Compared to the last two summers, we had some losses of a certain type and added Petrucelli, who will probably start in the quintet, and Abass who will have important roles.”
On the criticisms. «I play a role that is the easiest target for any sport. What I can’t stand is not being criticized. I have achieved peace of mind from the point of view of ego gratification. But it is a fact that the boys play well together and with great attachment. This is not debatable. If I am attacked, it’s fine, maybe because I don’t draw the schemes in the time outs, which is very televised, but an end in itself. It is more useful to reassure, sometimes even not to say anything or to let the players talk among themselves».
The tension before the competition. «There is no comparison. As a coach the sense of responsibility is more stressful. As a player you have certainties, as a coach you find them again when you trust the players. The good thing is that, compared to two years ago, I trust my players blindly. The only thing that makes sense is mutual consideration and in this we have always grown. We understand each other immediately with the serenity of being able to say everything. They have the intelligence to understand that it is right to have confidence, recognizing that I am the coach. I am sure that they will give their all. The bond with the shirt is felt resoundingly. The national team is theirs, not mine».
