Atalanta, Sarri: “Too many injuries? We need to lodge a formal complaint with the Lega, UEFA and FIFA. The fixture schedule is absurd; the Players’ Association must speak out.”
After Atalanta's win over Pafos in the Conference League, Maurizio Sarri spoke to Sky.
"We started the match well and, unlike against Venezia, we created a great many chances. Tonight we made better decisions about when to go direct and when to keep possession. We gave the opposition virtually nothing, apart from that chance at the end, and I'm sorry we conceded a goal. The gap in technical quality was evident because we played well; in matches like these, there is always a risk that it will not show, especially as Pafos only lost 3-2 to Fiorentina right at the end, so this was not a particularly straightforward task. The team did well. In these last two matches, we have considerably increased our ability to pose a threat, and now we also need to find balance and solidity."
"Too many injuries? File a complaint with the league, UEFA, FIFA... There are too many for everyone, not just us. We are subject to an absurd fixture schedule with all the consequences that brings. I've read about several cases over these three days of European football, so it's unfortunately a risk you run. On top of that, when players return from international duty, there's another risk: Scalvini was injured just after returning from international duty, and Raspadori also came back carrying a knock. That's the fixture schedule, and what really surprises me is that the players' association says nothing."
"It's fairly easy to work here: the club is a model, and I, at least, had never encountered a situation like this before. Of course, this is a team that has played a completely different kind of football for many years, so that can bring difficulties, but the players are willing and are improving. I hope we still have plenty of room for improvement: honestly, I don't know how far we can go in the first year, but in the medium term we have set ourselves the aim of reaching quite a high level."
