Modena-Cesena Derby: Mandelli aims to confirm himself on the yellow-blue bench

A game eve a bit like the last day of school. And then we don't even talk much about what this will be derby with Cesena (2.852 tickets, 472 for guests) which will close Modena's championship with many regrets and which instead could promote (depending on Bari) the black and whites to the playoffs. Paul Mandelli he immediately returns to the episodes of last Friday's match against Brescia, see the penalty denied to Defrel and the not exactly... regular goal of the equaliser by the Swallows: "We can talk about missed opportunities and all we want, but if in the 82nd minute they don't award you an obvious penalty that would have brought us to 3-1 today we would be here saying that by beating Cesena we would have gone to the playoffs".

The spotlight then turns to Mandelli's future, and the coach gives the impression, at the very least, of wanting to put on the table a more than serious candidacy for the bench of Modena 'of the greats' also for the next season. "I'm not a fan of numbers, but if the championship had started on the twelfth day, that is when I came in, we would now be seventh. I'm happy with this result, I had the confirmation that this is a world where I can be. I felt at ease, there was not a morning in which I woke up saying 'ugh I have to train. And I always had the impression that the team was following me, and this is an important step, it's one thing to compete with kids and another with adults. I've always been proud to defend these colors with the Primavera, let alone with the first team: being able to do it again next year knowing that I can start from the beginning, that is building and not patching up, would be really nice and I know I can do it well, otherwise I would back out".

And so there is hope for a renewal: "Plan B would be for me to be the coach of a first team somewhere else, but I haven't even thought about it; plan A is to deserve confirmation here in Modena. In these six months I have been able to focus on a bit of everything, from the championship to the problems that exist internally, to the way of relating to the players. If it were possible I would like to start from something of my own. Obviously I'm not the one who decides, but I hope so. The appreciation from the public? People obviously follow the situations, we gave them great joy by winning in Reggio after more than seventy years and on the contrary a bitter disappointment in the return derby. This team has removed itself from a difficult situation and it was not a given, and has always remained outside the hot zone. And if on Friday night they gave us that penalty... I understand the fans, but we also have to think about the supporters of many other famous teams who are going to light candles today".

He concluded by saying: "Taking into account who won't be available, we'll field the best possible lineup."