Viviano pleased with 2017: “We have spirit and an identity”

Sampdoria’s last-gasp win today was as much down to Emiliano Viviano’s stunning saves at one end of the pitch as it was to Fabio Quagliarella at the other.

“Thirty points with a game in hand is nothing other than excellent,” the keeper said after the game. “What’s more important, however, is that the team has developed a consistent approach game after game. Even when the results were disappointing, the performances didn’t change.”

Viviano’s gloves were called into action at a few crucial moments this afternoon at the Marassi.

“That’s what the goalkeeper is there to do,” he smiled. “Credit goes to the team. We needed a bit of luck, but it went well. Quagliarella is key to us, he has the spirit of a champion.”

The first half of the season has come to a close and another calendar year completed.

“Samp have grown considerably in 2017,” Viviano concluded. “We’ve consistently been building our identity and it’s getting stronger every day.”