On the eve of the 26th matchday of Serie BKT, which sees Venezia FC face Pescara, coach Stroppa previews the key topics of the match and describes his team’s current form ahead of the challenge against the Abruzzese side. Kick-off is scheduled for Saturday, February 21, at 3:00 PM at the Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo.

Giovanni Stroppa, Venezia FC coach:
"With Cesena we got back on track; beyond the four goals scored, we delivered a more than positive performance. Tomorrow will be yet another challenge as we try to collect as many points as possible until the end.

Pescara’s recent matches should not make us let our guard down. We have a target that keeps our motivation high, and I don’t think I need to further motivate the team because the boys have always been very focused and take great responsibility for what they do. There will be difficulties tomorrow as well, but the goal is too important not to find the right energy to approach every match at 100%.

The mistakes from the first-leg game against Pescara allowed us to raise the level of our subsequent performances. Tomorrow it will be very important to stay focused on what we do best.

With Gorgone, the Abruzzese side has found a bolder identity, without losing the team’s ability to play vertically. Pescara has very dangerous players up front, and Brugman has the technical quality in midfield to dictate the tempo, while the team can rely on players who can be protagonists in this league. They come off an important win in Avellino and are a team in good shape.

We need to continue taking it game by game; at Cesena I made five substitutions, and all the players who came on gave positive responses. This also motivates me a lot, as it allows me to better manage the squad. As I have said before, the secret of this team lies in the players further down the pecking order — I know I can always count on them.”