Lecce manager Luca Gotti addressed the media ahead of his team’s upcoming match against Cagliari, reflecting on the club’s challenging start to the season and the recent transfer window activities.
Gotti began by discussing his initial optimism upon arriving at Lecce: “A few days before the retreat, I arrived in Lecce by motorcycle, and I did it with enthusiasm. Until Pescara, I was calm, then I stopped to eat something and saw that the calendars had come out, so I was less calm in the second part of the journey.”
Addressing the team’s difficult opening fixtures, Gotti explained: “Obviously, you’re always hopeful that even certain matches can be positive, but there’s the rational side where you know it can be difficult against two big teams that haven’t changed coaches. And I had the fear that losing games with these big teams could overburden the others.”
On the recent transfer window, Gotti noted: “It was not an easy week because in the last week of the market, you have several boys distracted by what happens outside. Every day someone new arrives and the balance changes continuously. Despite this, the team has been very present.”
Regarding new signings, Gotti provided updates: “Jean has done all the preparation with his former team and is ready, on par. Rebic and Guilbert were out of the technical project and have practically never trained, Bonifazi I haven’t seen yet. These last ones have had practically only one training session with us, it’s an evolving situation.”
When asked about tactical considerations, Gotti said: “In midfield, there are elements with different characteristics. Berisha has intensity, shooting, knows how to read the last pass even if he wouldn’t be exactly a playmaker. I try to find the best solution from time to time, tomorrow there should be some different solutions compared to other matches played.”
Looking ahead to the Cagliari match, Gotti emphasized the need for balance: “Theoretically, one should have the ability to be both compact and aggressive and offensive. The real difficulty lies in knowing how to read when one thing should be done within the match and when another. Inter showed us with their experience a masterful example of this, young teams instead lack in this aspect.”
Gotti concluded by highlighting Cagliari’s strengths: “Up front, Cagliari knows how to hurt by attacking spaces and exploiting transitions, we will have to minimize their danger.”
