Antalya – White T-shirt and deep in thought. Dejan Stankovic remained silent on the charter flight that brought Sampdoria back from Antalya to Genoa the day before Christmas. With the only concession of half an hour for this interview with Secolo XIX.
Let’s start with the retreat.
“It came at a bad time for us. We needed a break to rest and put fresh, physical and mental energy. Everything went smoothly. The players worked hard. They have been honest, mostly to themselves. Then also towards me and my staff. They behaved like true professionals. We worked hard, there was just some fatigue. In the last friendly against the Kazakhs I didn’t want to risk it and I spared Vieira, Gabbiadini… Caputo is now thinking about the transfer market, we know it, we have nothing to hide. Now another week of training awaits us in Bogliasco to prepare for a real battle right up to the end».
The players speak of a “new spirit”.
“There is. And we have to keep him until the end of the championship. There will be wins, draws and losses. As I see it… when we win we won’t have to believe we are very strong, when we lose that the world has ended. The closer the line between victory and defeat is, the better off we are. There is no time to analyze, make tables. We must be ready, have certainties. Someone in this retreat had to give answers, not only to me, but above all to himself. If he is ready to resist, to fight with the pressure, with the importance of the club and his goals. If he can’t do it, say so. I appreciate every answer, but not those who seek excuses.
Have you changed your mind about any footballer?
“Yup. Of course there are also those, not many, from whom I expected more even in this retreat, a growth that hasn’t been there. I don’t judge, maybe this is their maximum or there is some limit. And I also have more experience. I would not repeat certain words said after Turin and Lecce. I was misunderstood. Sometimes it’s better to shut up and be considered an idiot. I don’t want to disrespect anyone, especially our fans. I would like to find the right words not to irritate anyone and right now there are no words. We deserved boos and criticisms, but we put an end to the past. Now a new mini-league begins for us, with preparation done well in Turkey. I’ll give everyone a hand, but I’ll wait for the confirmations on the field».
What happened to the famous list of ten after Lecce?
“I have to talk to the company about these things, not my wife. That list was not a blacklist. But he understood who had the transfer market, who wanted to leave, who didn’t fit into the club’s or the coach’s plans. The fault lies with whoever leaked it and I know who it is. And then, in any case, opinions change, if I had to do it again today it would be very different from that one».
Do you expect anything from the market?
«Yes, although aware of the corporate situation. Which I accepted right away. Surely someone will also come based on how we want to play. How many there will be one, two or three… I don’t know. I know we can’t buy anyone, only trades. We’re trying to name a few. I see sporting director Mattia Baldini as very motivated, I’m happy to work with him. Together we will try not to make mistakes and above all to hire men who meet Sampdoria’s needs at the moment. Not easy, for real tough guys. We need to overcome that mental block we have. We talked about it in Turkey, we confronted each other, clashed, embraced. We’re on the right path”.
Will there be tactical news?
“When I arrived I found myself in a blender. But I’m the first not to look for excuses, I assume my faults and I also take those of others. In Turkey I had the necessary time to work. Tactically, I worked based on the players I have, trying to put everyone in the best position, without inventing anything and making them lose certainties. There may be a couple of adaptations but no more».
He has been criticized for his constant lineup changes.
“We don’t have the qualities for others to adapt to us. And we were also a bit unlucky in some episodes. I was wrong to load the match against Lecce in that way too much. I went over and I’m sorry. I take the blame. I thought I’d elicit a reaction that would help us win the game and go into retirement with a win that would subconsciously change something. Adrenaline, happiness made you spin 20% more. I experienced it on my skin. It was a pretty tough lesson, now I’ll choose better the way to load my players. The answers will be given on the field. I imagine as if we were all under a huge boulder. We have to share the pressure among everyone. If they start giving up one or two, it’s more difficult. If 4 or 5 start… worse. The more the pressure crushes us. There are difficulties, but they did not arrive yesterday. I believe in boys, in work. And I’m critical of myself. Every morning and evening I ask myself the same questions, am I up to it or not? I talk about it with my collaborators, with my family. Before asking my players for answers, I have to give them to myself. We’re all in discussion.”
What do you say to a Dorian fan?
“That I will fight. I understood that the fan asks for this, 100%. They are rightly tired of losing, but perhaps in the last period we haven’t all been up to this shirt. We have a duty to defend pride, dignity, society, shirt, history, fans, your partner. It can be lost but there is a way and a way. We must know how to suffer more, not give up at the first difficulty. In this retreat I saw something different. The first half in Adana was the model, everyone suffering in the bunker when we are attacked and then having fun when the ball goes around. We will try to find the balance of the two phases».
What do you think of the corporate situation?
«Without going into the merits, I hope it will settle down as soon as possible, for the fan who is shaking a little, for the team, because it’s a chain that gives us peace of mind. This is my wish for this Christmas.”
The last thought is for Mihajlovic.
«Sinisa’s death took away all my words. I feel inside an immense emptiness that I have never known before. I am still young and luckily I still have all my loved ones. Everything I had went with it. I am left with the memory and the great pride of having been part of his life. We all saw who Sinisa Mihalovic was».
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