Athos Bagnoli The heart of Empoli fans speaks: "We are counting on the whole city against Bologna"

by Simone Cioni EMPOLI The last break for the national team's commitments has been archived Serie A is about to enter its decisive period, in which all the verdicts will be issued: nine matches in which even theEmpoli will have to try to gain those points needed to remain in the Olympus of Italian football. Two months to be lived in apnea, even for all the blue fans who care about the deeds of D'Aversa's men. And so, a few days before the championship resumes, let's try to take the pulse of the Empoli fans with the president of the Unione Clubs Azzurri, Athos Bagnoli.

Let's start with the away game in Como on Saturday, how many Azzurri supporters will there be? "First of all, there was an immediate handicap for this match because they put the tickets on sale exclusively on the website of the Larian club, and this creates some inconvenience for the less young. In any case, between us and the ultras we will organize three or four buses and then I know there will also be some private cars. Moreover, playing on Saturday, some will stay two days to spend a weekend away. And then we always like to go to Como, it evokes beautiful memories. Let's hope that these past successes on the lake shore are a good omen for the match on Saturday too".

The final rush is about to begin, are you ready? "Absolutely, we will always be here and I am convinced that by recovering the injured players and with a little more luck the team will also be able to play until the end, as we are used to seeing. The good start this year had perhaps fooled us all a little that it could be an easier season, instead also thanks to many unfortunate episodes, we are still here fighting tooth and nail, but this is who we are. Our championship is the salvation and I feel that there is confidence in the fans."

Moreover, even after a resounding defeat like against Atalanta at home, the warm part of the fans applauded the whole team... "In fact, our support will never be lacking".

It's a shame about the few home joys this year... "It's true that so far we've only won once at the Castellani, other years we might have achieved more at home, but this season we've achieved more away from home. But the important thing is these last two months and it would be nice if the Castellani was always full to make the whole team feel like it's a 'warm' environment, ready to support them for the whole ninety minutes".

It will certainly be on April 1st on the occasion of the first leg of the semi-final Coppa Italia with Bologna... "The lower Marathon has sold out in recent days and many requests are starting to arrive for the upper one, but honestly I was a little disappointed. It's a historic event for a small reality like us and frankly I would have expected a little more warmth and attachment from the city. In any case it will certainly be a beautiful evening, among other things the guys are also preparing a beautiful choreography".

At this point, dreaming is not forbidden... "Certainly the dream of the Coppa Italia continues, it couldn't be otherwise given how we've come this far, but what matters is the championship, where we hope to be able to compete right from the end, as happened last year, to remain at the table with the best".