MILANELLO - Here are the declarations made by Andrea Pirlo to Milan Channel's microphones at the end of today's training session.
Andrea, after another away victory yesterday at Cagliari, what were the positive aspects and the negative? “The positive aspect was certainly that we won and earned three important points to get closer to the top positions again, but I think there are no negative aspects because we even though we conceded an early goal and missed a penalty we did well to react because we wanted this victory at all costs.”
Now you have to break the San Siro taboo, on Saturday night Juventus are coming. “The match against Juventus is a game full of history. I think it will be a wonderful game with a very particular atmosphere. It's nice to see Juventus back in Serie A so we can face them again, what better chance to get rid of this taboo.”
And yesterday's match against Cagliari was decided by a free kick taken by you. What is your secret? “I always try to improve the way I take free kicks, sometimes they work well, other times not so well. Yesterday the goalkeeper moved well to try and save the shot, but the trajectory changed and it went in. My way of striking the ball is a bit strange, difficult, you have to have a knack for it. Sometimes also my team mates try it during training, I was lucky to have this skill.”
The thoughts of the calcio community are with Fiorentina Coach Cesare Prandelli after his wife passed away this morning.
Prandelli didn’t travel to Reggio Calabria with his side on Sunday, as he wanted to be at Manuela’s bedside.
Manuela had been ill for a long time and the former Parma tactician had to turn down the Roma bench in 2004 when she was diagnosed with cancer.
“The club, the President, the board, the directors, the players and all of the staff are united in feeling immense grief for the Prandelli family,” a statement on Fiorentina’s website reads.
The funeral will be held on Wednesday near the Prandelli family home in Orzinuovi, near Brescia.