Quagliarella: “I can’t believe I’ve actually done it!”

Of all the thousands of players who have played in Serie A, only two have managed to score in 11 back-to-back games: Gabriel Omar Batistuta and Fabio Quagliarella. It’s an incredible achievement which our captain still could extend further and one he was still trying to come to terms with as he spoke after the game.

“It’s a night I’ll never forget,” the skipper began, having equalled the Serie A record with two goals against Udinese. “I never even thought I’d get close to someone like Batistuta but then as I did get closer I thought ‘Who knows…?’ Now that I’ve done it I can hardly believe it myself.

“When I stepped up to take the penalty, the ball felt a bit like a medicine ball but I knew that if I scored I would equal an incredible record. It wouldn’t have been a disaster if I’d missed but I was determined to score.”

Quagliarella’s double against Udinese takes his tally to 16 for the campaign – making him the top scorer in Italy – but the veteran striker was keen to emphasise the efforts of the entire squad.

“We have a great group of lads here – they’ve very professional and are always ready when called upon, which is never easy.”

Next up for Sampdoria is a tricky test against Quagliarella’s boyhood side Napoli.

“It’s going to be a special game but I’ll approach it the same way I do the other matches – stay calm and just try to do my best.”