D’Aversa: “A hard-fought win to progress in the cup”

Roberto D’Aversa’s first taste of the home dugout at the Ferraris as Samp coach went to plan, with his side coming from behind twice to register a victory over Alessandria in the first round of the Coppa Italia.

“It was a hard-fought win, but it’s important because it gets us through to the next round of the competition with the same level of enthusiasm as before,” stated the coach after the 3-2 triumph. “I’m pleased this evening and I’m also proud of this group of players. Samp have plenty of ammo, but there’s still room for improvement, in terms of both individual and team mistakes. We won’t get away with any of those on Monday against Milan.

“It was a special feeling to step out onto the Marassi pitch for the first time in 20 years,” explained the coach. “It’s a place where I got to experience so much joy in the past. It was a special feeling. I hope to see it packed out again soon, although it was great to have some fans in attendance tonight. We know just how important our fans are.

“As for Quagliarella, he deserves all the praises that he gets. Scoring 100 goals for the same club isn’t a target that everyone can set and if you manage it, it’s because you’re a top professional with real quality.”