Over the past twenty-four hours, the Sebastiano Esposito case has been a hot topic at Cagliari, along with rumors of an impending split with the Rossoblu, perhaps orchestrated by his agent Mario Giuffredi to secure a contract renewal. President Tommaso Giulini nipped the issue in the bud: "He trained really well today," he said of the striker in an interview with Alberto Masu on "Il Cagliari in diretta estate," broadcast on Videolina and Radiolina from the training camp in Ponte di Legno .
Giulini is disappointed by the recent rumors: "This story has even been romanticized with videos. If you want the best for Cagliari, you have to blow it off," he criticizes. "These exposures have always really bothered us. We're used to talking about it at home, looking each other in the eye: we were surprised by what happened. Esposito, like Caprile, have shown they care deeply about this jersey and that they are leaders like Deiola and Zappa. I'm convinced we can do very well this year; they've committed to this project wholeheartedly, and Esposito trained brilliantly today as well ."
According to Giulini, Cagliari will have additional leaders in the locker room: "I believe others will join, from Zé Pedro to Mina, who will return, to Obert, who is becoming the captain of the youth team. We have a locker room of real people, undergoing a makeover after Pavoletti's departure, and I don't think there's any need for all of this. We want to focus on the pitch: the good of Cagliari is the only thing that matters to everyone ." He adds: "My family and I have always been accustomed to saying little and letting the facts speak for themselves. Maybe I'm not a very media-friendly president, and maybe I haven't come across as very likeable over the years, but if you work in another profession, you don't have that cinematic culture or media presence."
Another major piece of news today is the decision by Paolo Maldini and Leonardo to resign from their newly established roles within the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), after the option of Andrea Pirlo as coach fell through. "I'm certainly disappointed," says Giulini. "I spoke to Leonardo ten days ago and told him my opinion: he's someone I respect, with whom I have a very strong relationship. I also expressed our opinion to Malagò."
Returning to Esposito, Giulini outlines the transfer market issues: "We want to improve this team, which is why I'm disappointed things like yesterday are happening. Esposito has always performed great and has always shown dedication to this shirt: he doesn't deserve the treatment he's received in recent hours." In attack, Cagliari won't be making any immediate signings: "We have a lot of players, with some players who deserve a chance, from Kingstone to Borrelli. That's not to say we won't make changes in the coming weeks, but right now it's a surplus of players where every player deserves a chance . The area where we'll make quick changes is the defense, where we have one or two players on the way out: you'll certainly see some additions there."