Inzaghi: "We'll need the best Pisa against Cittadella, a more complex match than others"

Pisa, 7 February 2025 - From the press room at the Arena Garibaldi, Nerazzurri coach Filippo Inzaghi previews the themes of tomorrow's match against Cittadella. Below are his statements.

How are the players? “Tramoni, Marin and Touré will not be there. There are no problems in this team because anyone can be missing and all the guys are up to the task”. A comment on the market? “The market has finally ended, the club has further strengthened this team, it has brought in good and strong young players who will need to settle in, but we are very happy, I am very satisfied. They are all ready”. What do you think of Castellini? "Those who know the Italian championship and play here have an advantage. Castellini is ready and very strong, I brought him to Brescia for the first team and the club bought a great player. He can play all the roles in defense, he is a very serious guy." Could it be Solbakken's time? “Solbakken is a very strong player and he is ready, but for someone to play someone else very important who has brought us to these successes must be out, so it will take calm and caution. The players must be put in condition. Sernicola? “Sernicola will play, I couldn't wait to give him this chance and then Castellini and Solbakken will come to the bench, ready if needed”. Can we expect any news on the three-quarter line? “I am very happy with how Meister played, Piccinini will not play as an attacking midfielder even if he can do that role, but I have doubts about midfield because there are so many of us. Up front Meister can be proposed again and can give us a great advantage, but we know Arena, while Morutan is in great shape, he is improving training after training. I have doubts about midfield and who will play alongside Lind and Moreo”. Did you believe it at the beginning of the year? "I strongly believed in it, as did the club, while public opinion has often changed its mind. I hoped we could do well, I knew that this Pisa could make the playoffs, but clearly fighting and contending with these teams could only dream thinking that something beautiful could be created, Pisa is building something important with the club and the group it has. To be here, I assure you, we worked so hard. There has never been a complaint or a fine, then in football the result counts". For the first time in Palermo, Pisa applied the systematic offside, it is clear that you worked hard on it, will you propose it again or was it specific for Palermo? “We have improved a lot because the pressure from the attackers is very fierce and this has allowed the defenders to gain confidence. However, it is not a tactic that we use systematically, but I agree that the defensive line for pressing has improved a lot over the months. We work a lot on this aspect. The results are visible and the players are able to work at their best”. What do you think of Cittadella? “They have changed their playing system, they have very fast attackers, it is a team that tries not to let them play, they have brought in new players, but it should be taken with a pinch of salt because they will need the best Pisa”. It will be a tough race. "Cittadella, we know that the match is very complicated and I hope that the players realize that it is a key match. We will have our people, it is a much more difficult match than the standings tell us, over the years this match has taught us that if you take it lightly it can go very badly. I trust my guys and also the environment, I hope for chaos". Casolari said that Spezia is stronger than Pisa. “I am also convinced that Pisa and Spezia have done something extraordinary, they are a strong team, but so are we”. An assessment of Rus' growth also in terms of authority “When I go to make the lineup and I have to decide between Rus, Bonfanti and Calabresi it is the most difficult thing of the day, then it is clear that Caracciolo and Canestrelli are having a great championship and have certain characteristics, but I could blindfold myself and take three, everyone who played gave great answers”. We are now two-thirds of the way through the championship. Looking at the top four, Sassuolo and Cremonese have pure quality, while Pisa and Spezia have something more in terms of grit and hunger. What do you think? “It could be a fair consideration, I think that Spezia and Pisa have gone beyond anyone's expectations, the clubs have been good at putting together a strong team”. L Can apadula and Pohjanpalo shift the balance?  “They definitely move, but we are happy with who we have” Do you believe the playoffs might not take place? "I don't think it's because of Cremonese's strength, they'll get the points they need and they've signed important players. But we don't care much, we have our destiny in our hands. It's not by chance that we're here. We're trying to play our chances without too much apprehension." Will Tramoni be there for the next one? "He could have been there for this match too, but we don't want to take any risks. He'll be back with the team on Tuesday, he'll be there against Cesena."