The Team’s Thoughts after the victory over Parma

Vincenzo Italiano’s thoughts on reaching the quarter-finals: “It wasn’t an easy game, we were forced to chase and come from behind, but I’m very happy with the second half, which we played well and with courage, using all the forwards we had. In the end, it paid off with an excellent goal from Santi, and I’m also delighted about Ciro’s return; it was important both for him and for us. He’s fine now, the injury is behind him, and he’s ready. We really cared about progressing to the next round, though, and we’ll be playing at home again in the quarter finals.”

Charalampos Lykogiannis commented after the match, “We were anticipating a challenging match because we know that Parma are a strong team. Our aim tonight was to progress to the next round and defend our title. We didn’t have the start we wanted; at half-time, we told ourselves that we needed to push harder. In the second half, we came out with more determination and turned the game around. We’re a great group, and those who came on were ready; everyone on the squad deserved today’s win. After the Cremonese match, we wanted to start a new chapter, and we did that with this win. Now we need to focus on Sunday, go to Rome, and pick up points. We’re happy that Ciro was able to return to the Dall’Ara, and to do it with a win. He deserved it because he’s spent a long few months away from the pitch.

Ciro Immobile commented after the game, “It was great to get back on the pitch, and to do it with a home win made the pain of the last few months worth it and has given me the energy to get back out there. Sunday’s game against Lazio will definitely be an emotional one for me. I’m happy to be back. We’re having a great season. Castro is a smart kid: he wants to learn and asks me for advice.”