343 days after the promotion of Bari, Cagliari gave themselves another memorable day. And the protagonist is always Claudio Ranieri, the architect of this salvation on an incredible anniversary with that of thirty-three years ago in Bologna: " The other time was May 19, 1991, and we won 1-2 in Emilia ", he recalls.
The main question for him, however, is the one about staying: « I have another year on my contract. Leave me alone, you've been asking me for three months ." Then he adds: « Cagliari is my home. Now let's enjoy this salvation, I said at the beginning that we would fight until the last second of the last day: I'm happy that we will be able to celebrate in front of our fans . In the meeting before the match I said that, last year in Bari, Gigi Riva had called me and told me that there was a whole island behind it: today I repeated those words."
The turning point
Two and a half months ago Ranieri resigned, after Cagliari-Lazio 1-3 , with the players having rebelled. It is the moment that he believes is decisive for changing the climate and bringing the team to safety: « I think the fire has been lit. I said that the boys needed electroshock because they were training very well but in the match I didn't see them as convinced: that's why I said that I would leave, because they were convinced that they could save themselves with me but I didn't see them on the spot. It usually happens that a team remains with its head down and in silence, but instead they told me that we all had to continue together. And they gave everything ." With the same players, led by Deiola and Nández, who led it to triumph under the visitors' sector. «In my career I have always followed my heart, enthusiasm is always my driving force».