Ospitaletto, Quaresmini: "Starting with a derby has something special"

On the eve of their league debut, where his Ospitaletto Franciacorta will play at home against Lumezzane, coach Andrea Quaresmini spoke at a press conference.

Coach, after the Coppa Italia debut, the league is now arriving. What are your feelings for the match against Lumezzane?

«The feelings are positive because I think last Friday in Trento we played a good game, beyond the result that penalized us. I saw good things and also many situations that we still need to work on a lot, and on which we have worked in these weeks. I saw the lads eager, eager to start: this gives me hope. It is normal that we will find a different opponent from last year, a younger but much more intense team, so there will definitely be suffering.»

What impression do you have of the new Lumezzane, considering that much has changed compared to last season?

«Yes, much has changed: they have changed their playing system, they have new ideas, new players, a rejuvenated team. There aren't many games yet to rely on to study the opponent. Between friendlies and the Coppa Italia, they have also changed their way of playing: against Renate they often bypassed the pressure, while in other games they tried to build from the back. What stands out is that they are very aggressive and very organized. Even the two goals scored in the Coppa Italia, especially the second, came from a corner situation practiced in training. They are an alert team, which knows what it has to do. On our part, we played a good game in Trento against a difficult opponent, but tomorrow neither team will be at 100%.»

From an emotional point of view, how does the impact compare to last year? And how important is it to start at home with a derby?

«Last year we started by playing three games in Salò, so we didn't debut at home immediately. This year, starting with a derby certainly has something special. We must understand, however, that this year will be more complicated: if last year there was curiosity and no one knew exactly what to expect from the league, now we know it very well. We know that our opponents also know us. Confirming oneself is always difficult: it is necessary to enter immediately with the right mentality. On this, I have positive feelings, because from the friendlies and the Coppa Italia the team has given me important insights, especially on attitude and approach. For our province, this is the first of many derbies: we must try to reverse last year's trend.»

Team selection: will we see a team similar to the one in Trento? Do you have everyone available?

«The squad is doing well: some are a bit further ahead in condition and some less so, depending on the player's physique. I have a wide choice: the only situation where I cannot choose is Parmiggiani, who is suspended. For the rest, I have many players with different characteristics to interpret the playing systems we are working on. I had good responses on Friday, both from those who started the game and from those who came on. So it's not a given that the team will be the same as Friday.»