He does not give up, he does not give up, he believes in it. Tommaso Giulini has been the owner of Cagliari for almost three thousand days and this is undoubtedly one of the most difficult steps of his presidency. Despite a relegation that came immediately, in the first year, and some physiological shocks, today the decline in consensus is the strongest, even difficult to manage, although nothing - the numbers say - is still decided. Mistakes, wrong evaluations, predictable and unexpected technical flops, the race to salvation that becomes a daily routine, the ambitions placed: this is the scenario, wherever you look at it. On Tuesday evening, the last match of the year, a defeat against Juventus in Turin but with his head held high, a small positive sign - in a very complicated year - after the recent foolishness. Giulini agrees to draw a line. And (finally) to have his say. On the whole. Closed at home, just during the holidays, because it is positive for Covid.

Meanwhile, President, how do you feel?

"Fine, thanks".

From your point of view, what time is it?

“The moment is what you see. I always try to look ahead, I don't like processes. Obviously, it is clear that I do not want to hide and I know that society is primarily responsible for this situation. These are the rules of the game, when things don't go as they should it is honest to take responsibility. We are very sorry, we thought we had created the conditions for an important growth, but it did not happen. It was a very tough time and some crucial injuries at important moments had a negative impact. But I don't like to build alibis, if we are here the responsibility is ours alone and it is we who have to pull ourselves out ».

In January, as usual, we cling to the market if things are not going as planned. How will you behave?

«We will try to do our best to cover some gaps that we have identified with the sporting director and the coach. But I want to say that there are some things that cannot be found on the market, such as the desire to suffer all together and help each other, the pride of wearing this shirt. Those who are part of this company, at all levels, put passion and sacrifices into it. Look at the Primavera, play with extraordinary intensity. These are the values that we must also transfer to the first team. I hope that, together with the technical interventions that we will try to bring home, we can regain the necessary spirit and conquer salvation ».

We witnessed a tough outburst from the sporting director after the test against Udinese. The diesse spoke, excuses included, but was it the voice of the company?

«After an evening like last Saturday, an outing of that type is humanly understandable. Capozucca lives every day intensely with the team and the technical staff. The bitterness is great and many players are like children to him. Having seen some kids cry in frustration led him to express strong concepts, but I think it's more than understandable ».

Tell us what led you to the exclusion of Godin and Caceres from the squad.

“I don't like talking about purges. There are no good or bad, as I said earlier in the bad list, society comes first. There are evaluations that we all do together just for the good of the team. You know, when decisions are made it's not always pleasant and sometimes you take risks. But we cannot afford to stand and watch, I repeat for the good of the team ».

Godin foretold his truths.

«It is legitimate for Godin to express his opinion and his version, as it is more than legitimate for Godin to have his interests and his image at heart. As I said, this is not a purge, rather a technical choice which, as always happens, lends itself to being divisive. We will see what happens in the transfer window. But now more than ever, Cagliari comes first: we must think only as a group for the good of the club and no longer talk about individuals ».

As a rule, when a team walks dangerously on the ledge, the coach pays.

«As he himself had the opportunity to say, Mazzarri expected everything to be less problematic. And there is no doubt that we too expected to struggle less with him and with this squad. But this is the situation and we must take note of it. Mazzarri is a great professional, he works a lot with our guys to try to better prepare for the matches and to strike the right chords with each of them. We will be even closer to him to help him get us out of this situation ».

During the match against Udinese, but also in previous outings, even in the Italian Cup, the dispute against the club and the team was strong and clear.

“I made huge sacrifices and finding myself like this is frustrating. But I want to tell our fans not to stop being close to the team. Never before do our kids need it like now. The team needs to recover self-esteem and the closeness of the fans is the best antidote to depression ».

Let's get our teeth out: is the company for sale? They hear about it every day, but she is the master.

«Look, I am very clear what it means to have responsibility and to accept pressure. Anyone who is an entrepreneur knows well that pressure is a positive fuel, the one that leads you not to give up, to continue investing time and above all money for what is most important to you. But when the pressure becomes improper and lacks the necessary respect, then it becomes something else, much less noble. And therefore less acceptable. In life, as in sport, you win and unfortunately you lose, it is the rule, but when you lose it is necessary to hold firm to the principles of fairness and dignity. Cagliari is a heritage that belongs to its fans, my task is to enhance it by laying the foundations for a club that can continue its glorious history. And believe me, it's neither easy nor taken for granted. Difficult moments are part of any journey. Paradoxically, they are the foundations of what is solidly built in the medium and long term ».

A balance of this 2021 difficult for everyone, for Cagliari made up of lights and shadows.

“The past two years have been a dark tunnel with few flashes of joy. Personally, I feel a great responsibility. There is a lot of love around this team, what we're experiencing hurts me, but it's time to give even more. Crying yourself is useless. This is a serious and healthy company, little has gone as we hoped. I only know one way to react, that of working even more ».

Enrico Pilia

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