Sassuolo "Stronger without making too much noise"

by Stefano FoglianiSASSUOLO"We have made important operations, which have allowed us to strengthen an already competitive squad and, in line with our policy, we have given young players, who are an asset to our company, the opportunity to gain experience elsewhere". The point on the black-green market is above all up to Francesco Palmieri, sports director of Sassuolo, who considers this long January above all as a means. Because the end, it goes without saying, "is to reach the objective that we know well". A league, obviously: no surprise, then, except on the part of some observers, that Sassuolo pushed on the January market more than one could have imagined, given the flattering position in the standings: there were rumors of Palumbo and Basic, we found ourselves with Verdi, Mazzitelli and Bonifazi, who joined Skjellerup and Velthuis, "but – adds Palmieri there were neither plans A nor plans B, but only objectives on which we never stopped working. We acted on the profiles that we considered suitable for our project without making too much noise, also because there is a lot of chatter around the market. Our top players were not and have not been on the market, we had a strong team and I think we managed to strengthen it further". True: apart from Skjellerup, who should be read as a 'prospective move', the others know the Italian mould well, if not very well, they know Serie B - and Bonifazi, Verdi and Mazzitelli have already won it - and they are, Palmieri makes it clear, "ready to give their contribution. How will they play? Tactical issues - the black-green sporting director begins - are taken care of Fabio Grosso, who is a well-prepared coach and I am sure will know how to best fit them into a group that is working very well and to which they have added the resources needed to best face the 14 remaining games". In short, it's done, boss: the closest rivals have strengthened, Sassuolo has also strengthened. And with the transfer market now closed, for the Neroverdi, it's a matter of doing 'only' what Fabio Grosso's team has done up to now. 'Only', then, so to speak: if the accounts with the January transfer market are 'even', in fact, from here on, other accounts are made and will be made, with a road that Palmieri still sees as uphill. "We are ready to face head on what awaits us, not without being aware that the pitfalls that this last part of the championship will present will not be lacking but - Palmieri concludes -, these last days will be difficult for us as much as for the other teams".