The victory over Fiorentina on Wednesday is considered a starting point rather than an end point. Udinese coach Andrea Sottil feels those who dwell on the past are making a big mistake.
“When you win thanks to a great performance in which you display character and bravery against a strong side like Fiorentina, there’s a huge injection of self-belief and the level of excitement around the place increases. We have to channel that in our preparations to face Roma. That’s the consequence of our last victory, but we have to put that to one side now. We mustn’t rest on our laurels. It’s dangerous. We need to look ahead to the Roma game and turn in an even-better performance.”
The boss discussed the reactions after the win over the Viola in midweek: “I’m simply being myself. I said on day one I think I’m transparent in terms of relationships. I demand a lot from my players because I know what they’re capable of. Above all, I like the idea of a sense of belonging and creating a team with a family feel to it.
“I’m talking about footballing cohesion as a target. When you’re on the inside and work on it day in, day out in the dressing room, doing video analysis and are at the training ground, I think you then take that with you on to the pitch. You show it on the pitch and that’s what making sacrifices for your team-mates is all about.
“I have huge respect for Roma, but we’re at home and we have to focus on ourselves. We have to play our game. We’ve prepared as we always do and will take to the pitch with humility, knowing we’ll need to perform at 120%.
“The players are ready and fired up. They’re fully focused and they’re also excited for the game.
“It’ll be really exciting for me as I’ll be up against a coach who’s won everything in the football world. He’s certainly one of the best in the world. We have to increase the level of excitement, cohesion and understanding by turning in top Udinese performances.
“That means playing with humility and a ruthless streak while also playing good football. We need to get the fans behind us and I think that’s the way to create a mix that can make the difference at home.”