28 November 2016
Sidelined for the majority of the last month through a thigh injury sustained against Napoli, Giorgio Chiellini is raring to go again just in time for a number of key fixtures between now and the end of the calendar year.
The central defender therefore missed out on yesterday’s reverse at the hands of Genoa – a game he nonetheless stressed provided plenty of lessons to be learnt by each and every member of the Bianconeri squad ahead of a busy period beginning with next weekend’s home match against high-flying Atalanta.
Here follow the pick of Chiellini’s comments this afternoon in front of the Sky Sport and Mediaset cameras:
Approach wrong vs Rossoblu
“Today we regrouped and analysed the match against Genoa, as we do for every game, even if obviously it’s more fun after a victory. What happened on Sunday will do us good in the long run. Our approach was unbefitting of this club and we’re aware of that. Likewise we know that we’ve plenty of room for improvement down the line.
“Let’s not lose sight, however, of the season as a whole. In today’s game, the top leagues are becoming ever more competitive and so we can say that we’re enjoying an excellent campaign: we’re first in Italy and in Group H of the Champions League too.”
“Key games before Christmas”
“We’ve a crucial run of fixtures between now and Christmas, by which point we want to have maintained top spots in Serie A and our Champions League group, as well as winning the Super Cup. For this reason we need the fans to get behind us and cheer us on to victory over the coming weeks.”
Atalanta awesome at present
“They’re the fairytale story of the season so far, they play some great football and really value their youngsters. With all due respect, however, I believe that our results in the upcoming games will depend primarily on us.”
Back to business
“I’m in good shape, working hard and I needed this time that I’ve had to train after a period on the sidelines. It’s great being ready to go again now.”
