Monza manager Alessandro Nesta displayed his sense of humor during a press conference ahead of his team’s match against Roma. When asked about the appointment of Federico La Penna, a referee from Rome, to officiate the game, Nesta quipped, “Maybe he’s a Lazio fan,” before adding more seriously, “Jokes aside, I don’t think about these dynamics.”
The issue of referee territoriality has been a topic of discussion in Italian football, but Nesta’s lighthearted response suggests he’s not concerned about potential bias.
Discussing the upcoming match, Nesta praised Roma’s new manager Ivan Juric: “We’ve studied them. They’re a team that presses hard and has their own identity. Ivan Juric is a great coach, I like him a lot.” He also commented on Roma’s young talent Pissili, saying, “You could already see in the youth team that he was strong. He’s talented, and now these young players need to confirm themselves at this level.”
Nesta revealed that club CEO Adriano Galliani had lunch with the team and encouraged them to “wake up in a positive way” for the match.
Regarding team injuries, Nesta provided updates: “We’re recovering Birindelli, Ciurria is feeling better and we’ll see if we bring him to the bench or not. Sensi and Gagliardini are out, Mota has recovered.” He also praised Daniel Maldini’s development: “He’s growing a lot. I’m happy he’s going with Italy because I consider him a special player.”
Finally, Nesta confirmed Turati as the team’s starting goalkeeper, while suggesting that Pizzignacco could become the first-choice keeper in a few years.