Marco Silvestri was a guest on Udinese Tonight on Monday evening during which he discussed the recent challenging period, his clean sheet at Genoa and the impact of Gabriele Cioffi on the team.
“We’ve just got through a really tough period because Covid hit us hard and put us at a disadvantage. We played against Atalanta in absurd conditions. We’re now ready to work hard together again.
“I think we played well against Lazio. It was a shame to go out the way we did in the Coppa Italia. Anything could’ve happened on penalties. We then picked up a key point against Genoa. We were facing a team that had conceded six goals to Fiorentina just a few days earlier, but the side that we were up against was completely different. Changing the coach always gives the side a boost.
“I liked the saves against Genoa the most. I think the second one was the best. They were important saves because they allowed us to get a 0-0 draw.
“I feel Cioffi’s had a positive impact. He’s given us battling spirit and a desire to fight for the jersey, having explained that there are no hand-outs in football, especially in Serie A. The team has changed its approach.
“We're doing very good work in Udine and the coaches are fantastic. I'm lucky in the sense that I've always had excellent coaches throughout my career.
“The international break comes at the right time for us because there’s work to be done. We have to integrate [Pablo] Mari and [Filip] Benkovic because they need to work hard with us and get to know the squad. During the second half of the season, we’ll need to do more than in the first half of the campaign and we have the quality needed.
“A clean sheet is something that comes from the whole team. The goalkeeper can make saves in certain situations, but is helpless in others. A clean sheet means that the team did very well defensively. It's an important result because it's down to everyone.
“Mari and Benkovic have made an excellent impression on me. They’ve come here in the right mindset. Pablo has a wealth of experience and Filip has a real physical presence.”