Following our 0-0 draw away at Parma the Player of the Match Maduka Okoye and Nicolo Zaniolo – who’d returned to the starting lineup - spoke to DAZN.
Okoye:
“We always want to win, and we need points. We got one today, which is fine. Now our focus immediately shifts to the next game. My penalty save was purely instinctual.
“We’ve been unlucky in recent matches, and we’ve also been missing players like Zaniolo. Today we saw just how important he is to the team.”
Zaniolo:
“It’s not the first time Maduka has bailed us out. I’m a big fan of his - he’s a great person and a fantastic goalkeeper. Thanks to him, we’ve ended our losing streak today and picked up an away point that helps us in the league standings. Now our focus turns to the Roma match.
“We’ve had a poor start to the season, partly due to injuries and partly because of a few too many lapses in concentration, but there’s a long way to go. If we get our squad up to full strength we’re capable of enjoying a great campaign.
“I’m still in touch with the head coach [Roberto] Mancini. He’s the one who gave me my big break, and I owe everything to him. I’m happy to be back on the pitch. Now it’s just a case of hitting top form.”