Raffaele Palladino, the "black beast of Juventus" laughs under his breath

Raffaele Palladino laughs under his breath after Thursday night’s 3-0 win that earned him the Coppa Italia semifinal: “I had already beaten Juve in the opener with Monza and now also in the first challenge with Atalanta: the numbers say they are a kind of black beast and I can’t deny it. But beyond personal statistics, I am simply happy. I thank the boys, the club and especially the fans: tonight the stadium was bedlam and we let ourselves be carried away by their enthusiasm. It was a magical, perfect evening”.

“We care a lot about the Italian Cup and we want to be competitive until the end. We are growing and giving continuity of results”. Ample space also for compliments for those who took over from the bench: “Bellanova, Krstovic, Sulemana, Kossounou and Pasalic, author of the goal, made the difference. This is the spirit I want: I count on everyone”.

Analyzing the match, the coach acknowledged the merits of the opponent: “We were concrete and cynical, compact in moments of suffering. Juventus impressed me for strength and quality: they are led by one of the best coaches around, Luciano Spalletti, and they were coming from an important positive streak. This makes our victory even more significant”. Revealed also a tactical backstory: “At the end of the first half I asked the boys if it was the case to lower ourselves a bit to manage, but the answer was clear: they wanted to keep attacking. This is a sign of a great group”.

Finally, a look to the future: “The DNA of this club and this fan base is sacred, we just had to find it again. I coach real men with high human and technical values. We are running on three fronts and we have a very hard month ahead between Champions, Cup and league. But now I want the leap in quality: on Monday against Cremonese we will need a test of maturity. After the gala nights we often risk dropping against teams that are inferior on paper. This must not happen: we cannot afford dips”.