Triestina-Arzignano Valchiampo prematch
There's only two days left until the season opener at Stadio Rocco against Arzignano Valchiampo, scheduled for Saturday, 24 August at 18:00 CET.
Santoni:
"D'Urso was brought in because we are convinced he has to be a key player for this team. He can be if I start him, though we still need to see how long he can last at this stage. As for Frare, it will take a bit more time, he's still recovering from an injury from last season. He’s making good progress, but he won’t be in the squad for this game. Besides them, Tonetto will also miss the match, although he'll fully rejoin the team on Sunday, and Ballarini, who I expect to fully recover within a month. We're working closely with Udinese to ensure his recovery. Lastly, Ogliari will be out due to a serious injury that will sideline him for a considerable time.
I’ve told the players that Saturday's match is like a maturity exam. I’m happy with what I'm seeing in terms of how we want to play football, but we need to show the balance and patience necessary to win matches—not just playing beautifully, but also being effective. Regarding the midfield setup, Voca, Correia, and Braima can coexist, and there will be matches where they start together, even with D'Urso. We need to be adaptable and avoid becoming predictable, especially since we have five substitutions we can use during the game.
The club is working to strengthen the squad. I’m not the type of coach who constantly asks for new players, especially since I have a group of 21 players plus three goalkeepers that gives me full confidence—a fantastic group of players eager to learn every day. Of course, with the type of football we’ve been trying to play for the past month, some players might need more time to fully adapt. However, I’m confident that even those not yet at 100% will be ready to perform well on Saturday. If the club brings in new players to speed up this process, that’s great. But again, I have a great group of players who are willing to learn and challenge themselves every day, and for a coach, there's nothing better than working with people who want to improve.
With opponents who might try to close down spaces we’ll need patience. I’d love to see high-level play throughout the match, but there might be phases that are a bit dull—hopefully not, but it could happen. In those moments, we must not get frantic and risk dangerous counters. We need to create spaces and, more importantly, exploit them effectively, being sharp enough to score. We’re working on improving ball management and space utilization in the final twenty, thirty meters. Against Trento, I think we played an excellent first hour in terms of the initial buildup, but we didn’t create enough in the final third, and that’s where we need to do much more. In a match like Saturday’s, having a forward who can link up play could be very useful, but I have strikers with different characteristics and five substitutions to change the setup if needed.
Arzignano is a well-organized team with a squad that knows each other very well. They have an excellent playmaker in the middle who knows how to control the tempo and set up his teammates when spaces open up. They also have a central defender with both physical and mental presence, and a forward who works hard for the team, supported by two very dynamic players—we need to be very careful not to give them space. In the pre-season matches, I’ve seen many players trying to prove themselves, sometimes risking overdoing it. That’s not necessary. For me, I already have the best players. Against Arzignano, the desire to overdo things could lead to mistakes that might be costly, and that’s precisely why I’ve called Saturday’s match a maturity exam.
As for transfer rumors, I talk a lot with my players. For those who had offers, I spoke with the club and the players, asking them to stay, and they did. Others need to decide what they want for their careers. It’s not always just the club’s responsibility if a player stays or leaves. Some players might perform better in different systems or environments, and I’ve discussed all the possibilities with them. It’s up to them to decide. In any case, as long as a player is part of the squad, I demand 110% effort, because everyone is needed, and it’s also in their interest to be ready in case they eventually move to a new team. If they do decide to leave, it will be because we’ve already found suitable replacements."
