Giampaolo dishing out the praise: “Well done to my players”

Today was the final match of a memorable 2017 in which Marco Giampaolo’s Sampdoria have come on leaps and bounds, but even so SPAL provided stern opposition at the Marassi.

“It was really difficult against SPAL,” the Blucerchiati coach commented, “and my team put every ounce of energy into getting the win. In terms of attitude and application, I give them ten out of ten. With the pitch as bad as it was, you can’t make a judgement on their quality.

“Well done to the lads because they adapted and put in a performance that we’re not used to, without playing the ball on the floor as much. Despite the three points, the pitch surface remains a problem.”

Giampaolo also paid tribute to Samp’s man of the day, and arguably of the season so far as well.

“Quagliarella should be celebrated because he always knows what to do and when. He’s a superb footballer. It’s our job to help him to play at his best, which opens the way for these remarkable achievements for him and for us.”

The gaffer rounded up his post-match interview with more words of praise for his players and a New Year’s wish for the fans.

“I have nothing other to say to my players than ‘well done’. Thirty points with a game in hand is a great return. Any coach would love to have [Vasco] Regini in their side because he’s so reliable.

“Happy New Year to our fans, I hope it’s full of satisfaction.”