Former Lazio and Atalanta midfielder Enrico Vella discussed yesterday’s Coppa Italia defeat to the Bergamo based club and the upcoming league meeting between the pair in an interview with Italian media outlet Cittaceleste.it earlier today.
First, he touched on yesterday’s 3-2 defeat.
It was a good game, but if you look at Lazio’s line-up you can see that they were missing a lot. I can say that Lazio threw it away, one or two mistakes could have been avoided and the win could have easily arrived.
Especially because Atalanta were down to ten men. I’m disappointed. It was a strange game, with two beautiful goals that were thrown away. That’s not something that Lazio should be doing given that they are also going through a good period in the league.
He then looked ahead to Sunday’s Serie A match.
Sunday will be a different game, as it should be. It will be even more intense. It must be said, however, that these Coppa Italia games have been very interesting and good. Lazio will have to and will want to bounce back, and rightly so.
I’m between a rock and a hard place at the moment because I was disappointed that Lazio lost yesterday. Maybe I could say I’m happy Atalanta won? No, I was disappointed that Lazio lost. And since the Nerazzurri won yesterday, maybe Lazio will win on Sunday.
A win for each and that way everything evens out. I think Simone will field his best team on Sunday, even though he’s had a few absences.
As he always knows how to do. I hope, however, that the fans don’t get downhearted, as often happens when you make a mistake in a match and you go from excessive euphoria to despondency after a defeat like that.
I hope there are no recriminations from the team. But if I looked on various social media networks, I found posts blaming Hoedt. But there are 11 players on the pitch, it’s not just one who makes mistakes, the others made mistakes too.
It wasn’t just the Dutchman who made mistakes. But from my point of view Sunday’s game will be very, very different. I’m more than convinced of that.
Vella spoke about his playing career and experiences with both Lazio and Atalanta.
I have many memories, they’re all in one. An incredible thing. I was only in Rome for 15 months and I see the love and affection the Lazio fans have for me, they are incredible.
I was in Bergamo for three years, but the people from Bergamo, like many people from the north, are a bit colder.
The Lazio fans are passionate, visceral, I can still feel the affection they have for me. I have too many fond memories on both sides.
In my career I’ve always considered myself a professional, giving my all for any team, but I always carry the shirts of these two teams with me, it’s like I’ve always worn them.
Even now. Rome was something extraordinary. The same goes for Bergamo.
He gave his thoughts on Biancocelesti coach Simone Inzaghi.
Fantastic. Simone has produced extraordinary results with a limited squad. But it bothers me that when he makes a mistake in a game, something that can happen, or makes a mistake, everyone goes against him. So, what should the Inter fans say? Conte at €12 million a year makes one per game.
Inzaghi, from what I’ve read, is settling for €3 million a season and makes a mistake every now and then. Gentlemen, let’s put these things in the balance. I think Inzaghi is a great coach. I’m happy he’s staying at Lazio.
I see him like Sir Alex Ferguson, the important thing is that the club occasionally satisfies him. Who knows what would have happened if there had been a president who invested in the market, buying the players we needed.
The squad is small and it’s not easy to always play with the same players. And Lazio are having extraordinary seasons, they played an excellent Champions League and won the Coppa Italia.
And there are teams that have spent much more, like Inter, and in 10 years they haven’t won anything. And this is coming from someone who has been an Inter fan since birth.
Inzaghi has really done something extraordinary. We can even say it’s a miracle, given that Lotito isn’t very happy with him.
Finally, Vella spoke about the title race between Inter and AC Milan.
It comes naturally to me to respond by talking about the empty stadiums. Covid shocked people and overturned even the predictions. In England, Manchester United, first in the standings, lost at home against Sheffield United, last with 5 points.
But so did Napoli, who lost two games that, had they won, would have taken them to the top of the table. Now Milan, in the two three games they have played, have made it a little more complicated.
Inter won against Juve but then drew in Udine or lost in Genoa against Sampdoria. These are all surprising results.
And then it’s never happened in Serie A that there’s such a small gap between first and seventh place, anything can happen. It’s a big question.
The crowd factor, however, favours Milan, who are a younger team, they play with less pressure. The fans push and help, but it takes them a moment to kill you.
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