Serie C 2024/25: Triestina-Pro Vercelli postmatch

Following the Triestina-Pro Vercelli match, which ended in a draw, Geppino Marino, Teun Bijleveld, and Umberto Germano spoke to the press.

Marino:

"There’s some regret because we conceded from a set-piece, and it’s something that keeps happening. We worked a lot during the week, made some changes, but it’s an issue of lapses in concentration, and we need to be more aggressive. Apart from that, the boys played well today. In Trento, it was our second consecutive match, and managing the players' physical condition was crucial. We stayed behind the ball more, but after a timid start, the team began to play with quality, and we did well, showing that we wanted to win. Maybe we lacked a bit of sharpness in front of goal, but the boys put their hearts into it, and I thanked them for it because they are proving themselves in a tough situation. The team has quality; it just needs to add more intensity, more legs, and it has to be more reactive. Today, there was a strong response, and there would have been one even if we hadn’t conceded, because the team wanted to win.

Managing the match with so few options is not ideal, but I knew I had eleven hungry players on the pitch, and that can make the difference. Usually, when coaches see something wrong, they look to the bench, but today I was watching the field because I was proud of what the players were doing. There was only a slight hesitation with Vallocchia, as we didn’t have another midfielder, and the idea was to manage him and then push with an offensive player in the last 15 minutes to win it. Unfortunately, the goal sped up that change.

Vertainen’s injury, which also forced me to sub him in Trento, definitely took some offensive weight off us, and he would have been useful in our final push. Attys can play as a second striker or wide forward, but he’s not a target man. As a coach, you go by instinct. Even without Vertainen, we would have brought on Vicario, Attys, and El Azrak. Eetu picked up an ankle injury, and we’ll have to evaluate it. Today’s lineup was almost forced, but the boys are pushing through, and I appreciate that. They were ready and fought today.

It’s disappointing not to have taken all three points because we would have had four from these two matches, but I believe that football, as much as it takes away, will give back if you work hard. I’m confident that what we’re losing now will come back later. Will I return to coaching the Primavera on Monday? That’s not a question for me. I’m living a wonderful experience here. From the kitmen to the players and everyone working at the club, they’ve done everything to make me feel good, and in situations like this, it’s not easy. Let’s see what happens, I’m just here to help the club however I can."

Bijleveld:

"We’re in a tough position and want to give something back to the fans. After conceding the goal, we reacted as a team and found the equalizer. I’m happy with the goal, but we wanted to win this match. In tough moments like these, achieving objectives isn’t easy, and we need to keep building together to reach them. I’m happy to have scored my first goal in a Triestina shirt, and I hope more will follow, but the most important thing is that the team picks up points. Scoring in this stadium was fantastic. I know my last name is hard to pronounce, but it was great to see the fans trying, and I thank them for that.

Now that we’re playing with a three-man defense and five in the defensive phase, it might be a more 'Italian' system in some ways. We’re certainly giving everything and following the instructions of the coach, who hasn’t been with us for long but is doing a good job.

There are many differences between Italian and Dutch football. Here, there are more duels, more 'theater,' with players who scream when touched from behind. The way football is lived here is much deeper, almost like a religion. So when things aren’t going well, you feel it much more, both from the people and within the club. It’s hard to describe the main differences under coach Marino, but I think we’re more compact and organized now. Both systems could have worked, but given the current situation, I believe this is the best system."

Germano:

"I think we played a good match. We’re missing a lot of players, and we hope to get them back soon. It’s not easy, and being so short-staffed makes things even harder, but we did play a great game and responded well. It’s never easy in these situations, and when you concede a goal in the second half, it gets tough, but we managed to come back. Now, we just need that little extra to win.

On the goal we conceded, we need to be more alert. Maybe we’re a bit lightweight, and we need to be stronger. I’ve played with Comi, and he’s one of the best in the league in the air, so credit to him for the header, but we definitely need to improve. After the goal, I don’t think it was so much a rebellion against the situation. It’s natural that we don’t want to lose. It’s true that we’re in a tough spot, but we’re doing everything we can to get out of it, and I believe this reaction proves that we’re determined to turn things around."