Words from Head Coach Marco Baroni and Sporting Director Sean Sogliano / VIDEO
Verona - The statements made by new Hellas Verona head coach Marco Baroni during his official unveiling press conference, held today, Saturday 11 July, at the Club's headquarters.
These were the opening remarks from Sporting Director Sean Sogliano.
“Good morning, everyone. We are together again for another season, and I’m pleased to be here, even though my state of mind is certainly not one of happiness. At this stage, I believe we need to find the strength and enthusiasm to begin what we know will be a difficult season. I would like to thank Coach Baroni for accepting my call at a time when we need people who put professionalism above everything else. The fact that Marco has returned after two seasons is a great source of satisfaction for me. Every season is different from the last, and this one will be challenging as well. The fact that Coach Baroni accepted our proposal is an important starting point for us.”
These were the statements from Head Coach Marco Baroni.
“Good morning, everyone. It is a pleasure to greet you all and the people of Verona. I am proud and highly motivated to be here. I chose to return to Verona because of this city, its people and the Sporting Director sitting beside me. Verona does not belong to a category: its true identity is defined by the values of the city and the people who live here. To me, that is what truly matters. Together with my staff, I am convinced that we can give everything we have to do well. The only certainty we have is hard work. I will be supported by a staff of great quality and value. I would like to introduce them: Daniele Buzzegoli will be my assistant coach, Di Martino will be part of the coaching staff, Petruolo and Di Dio will be the fitness coaches, Cataldi and Castiglioni will work with the goalkeepers, Nabiuzzi and Valanzano will be the match analysts, and finally Panzarasa, who will oversee the recovery of injured players. This is my team.”
Where do you start from? “From great motivation and my desire to begin again. I am convinced that we will have to produce work of the highest quality, but also with great intensity and determination. We must turn the page quickly. In recent years there have also been negative examples: several teams relegated from Serie A have even ended up dropping into Serie C. That must not concern us. Together we have to do a great job and start again with strength, determination and a clear project. There will also be tactical changes: one of our certainties will be a back four. From there we must bring back onto the pitch all the values I came to know in this city: desire, determination, commitment, a sense of belonging, aggression and quality.”
You left Verona three years ago. In football, three years is a very long time and the Club has changed considerably. That team managed to stay up in extremely difficult circumstances and was described as a team on a mission. Is that the same spirit you want to rediscover today, in a different context and with a different objective? “Absolutely. As I said before, we are starting again in a difficult and highly competitive league. To go all the way, technical and tactical aspects alone are not enough: values will be fundamental. I always look ahead, never at the past. Right now, I see a huge amount of work ahead of us with the team. We have no time to waste and we must accelerate our progress through hard work while adapting quickly to the changes we are going to make.”
You spoke about tactical changes, particularly switching to a back four, and the goalkeeper is always the leader of the defence. Could Lorenzo Montipò be one of the major changes this season, considering that Nicola Leali has just been announced? “I’m not used to talking only about the defensive phase: the whole team has to work together. It is true that this team has spent many years playing with a back three and that there was also a tactical change during last season. As coaches we always ask for time, but time cannot become an excuse. We do not have it. We must make up for it through hard work, dedication and the desire to improve every day. We have made a decision regarding Montipò, but the Sporting Director will speak about that. I have fully supported his decision because I believe it is the right one. Leali has arrived, he is an important goalkeeper, and we will start with him.”
Have you already had the chance to speak with the ownership? “I had a conversation with President Italo Zanzi. But to be honest, my job is above all to focus on the pitch. The Sporting Director said he was pleased that I accepted the offer, but believe me, it was not a difficult decision. It was a choice driven by the values I believe in. The values of this city, my desire and determination to return here, together with the confidence the Club has shown in me, including from a contractual point of view, represent both a commitment and a responsibility. I chose once again to tie myself to these colours.”
You return to Verona with a different level of experience compared to your first spell. What has changed today compared to three years ago? “I am someone who tries every day to leave home in the morning and come back a better person in the evening. The challenge ahead of me is a wonderful one, and I am approaching it with conviction alongside my staff and the Sporting Director. During our discussions, I found the same energy and determination that I feel inside myself. Those are the essential ingredients: work hard, improve every day and try to build something important.”
In a recent interview, the ownership spoke about their ambition to bring Verona back to Serie A. The fans are looking for certainty: can you say that you are here to achieve promotion immediately? “I do not like making bold statements or using slogans. I like hard work and I like facts. What I can assure you is that we are here to be protagonists and to achieve something important.”
Let's go back to the moment when Sporting Director Sogliano called you. On a personal level, how did you feel? “First of all, it was a pleasure to see him again, although we had already spoken. As I said before, values are fundamental to me, both in life and in football. I found a Sporting Director who was hurt by what had happened, but at the same time full of energy. It is the same energy that I feel within myself. We all have to work together because, in football, important results are achieved when every part of the Club is pulling in the same direction. We know we are facing a difficult league, and that is precisely why it will be essential for every component of the Club to remain united. As people often say, there are men who arrive in the right place at the right time. I truly believe in that.”
Since leaving Verona, you have managed prestigious clubs such as Lazio and Torino. Honestly, does Verona remain the best place you have worked? “I came back here, and my choice speaks for itself. At Lazio I had an extraordinary experience with a fantastic group of players. We achieved important results, including in Europe, and the team improved both in performances and in points compared to previous seasons. At Torino, on the other hand, I do not like looking for excuses. There were several factors that did not help me, but I take full responsibility for the work I did. Today, however, I am not here to prove anything to anyone. I am here with determination, aggression and dedication to begin a new journey with Verona.”
Some players will not be travelling to the training camp. What kind of group should we expect to see in Folgaria? “Football has changed, not only in Verona but everywhere. There was a time when certain players were considered untouchable. Today, what we need are players with a spark in their eyes and the right energy to face an important season. For me, anyone who has those values is a key player. I still need to get to know many of the boys, and the first part of pre-season will be crucial for exactly that reason: not only to assess them technically and tactically, but also to get to know the person, their character, their values and what they can bring to the team. That is fundamental for me. I am completely focused on this. Tomorrow we will hold our first training session, then we will head to the training camp and continue working with the aim of getting to know both the group and the individuals as quickly as possible.”
You have already said that you will start with a back four. Considering the level of Serie B and the fact that the objective is no longer simply survival, will we see an even more attack-minded Marco Baroni than during your previous spell at Verona? “Yes, absolutely. Even during my previous experience in Serie A we never played negative football. We always tried to be aggressive and make life difficult for our opponents. I believe that the most important things in life and in football are built with courage. If you are afraid, it is very difficult to build something meaningful. That will be one of the defining characteristics of our team. Of course, we have to start from some objective facts: offensively, last season's numbers were not good enough. That is not an excuse, it is simply reality. We must change that. The turning point will come through hard work, not through words. I want a team with a strong identity, a team that plays attacking football and takes to the pitch with the ambition of winning every match. Then the pitch will tell us where we end up, but that must be our mentality.”
Looking from the outside, before working with the squad, do you feel there is already a foundation on which to build a team capable of fighting immediately for promotion, regardless of what happens in the transfer market? “We have to build something important, and everything starts with us. The first step will be to bring back energy, enthusiasm and the joy of doing this job. It is obvious that a team coming off so many negative results inevitably carries some sadness with it. We have to get rid of that quickly through hard work and enthusiasm. I believe deeply in those values. Without enthusiasm, passion and desire, nothing can be built. We must honestly acknowledge where we are starting from, but above all focus on where we want to go. That is what really matters.”
Have you already had the opportunity to speak with some of the players, perhaps the more experienced ones or those who struggled last season, to convince them that they can do better? “For me, in football, a young player is worth just as much as an experienced one. What matters is understanding what each player can offer today. At the moment I only know a few of them personally, but what really counts is seeing what each individual has inside and what they can contribute to the team. That is what allows you to face and overcome even the most difficult situations. It is all about values, something I have spoken about since the beginning and that I consider essential. It is what I expect from my players and from my team.”
Over the last two years, both personally and professionally, how much has Marco Baroni changed? “As I said before, from a personal point of view you never stop growing. To me, that is one of the most important aspects of life. Personal growth is a continuous journey: the moment you think you have achieved everything is the moment you have already started to lose it. Professionally, these past two years have been extremely valuable. I have experienced different situations, all of which have helped me grow, so I can assure you that I am a different coach today. But what really matters now is the present: hard work, commitment, dedication and passion. Those are the values that my staff and I want to pass on to the team from day one.”
Serie B is a league where many teams relegated from Serie A have encountered enormous difficulties. What will Verona have to do to avoid those risks? “Exactly what I was saying before. We know perfectly well that we will have to go to every stadium with strength, determination and the values that have always belonged to this Club. We must embody them one hundred per cent, because otherwise you simply do not get out of this league. Our first task will be to instil those values as quickly as possible. That is why I keep saying that we need players whose eyes are full of enthusiasm.”
You are one of the most experienced coaches in the division and will come up against many highly prepared managers. Is that an additional responsibility? “Yes, it is a great responsibility towards my Club, my Sporting Director and my city. There are many talented young coaches in this league, and that is an extra motivation to work even harder. We will probably have to wake up a few hours earlier every morning.”
These were the statements from Sporting Director Sean Sogliano.
“I would like to make a clarification regarding Montipò. We have officially signed Leali, but we have already spoken with Lorenzo and his representatives some time ago. This season we have to make certain decisions. I do not like postponing them, and I do not believe this is the right time to leave situations unresolved. The decision regarding Lorenzo is not an exclusion. We are talking about a Serie A goalkeeper who has given so much to Verona. It is a sacrifice because, in order to compete in this league, we also have to make financial evaluations. In Serie B we cannot afford to maintain a squad with certain salary levels. There are ongoing negotiations that he is fully aware of, and at the moment we are evaluating several situations. By mutual agreement between the player, his representatives and the Club, we have decided that this is the best solution. I repeat: this is not a rejection. It would be absurd to speak of excluding a goalkeeper who has been a regular starter in Serie A for many years. It is simply a shared decision, and in all likelihood Lorenzo will be playing for another club next season.”
What will Verona's transfer market strategy be? Will there be players considered untouchable, or can everyone leave if an important offer arrives? “Unfortunately, these dynamics are not decided by Verona, nor by almost any other club. When offers of a certain financial level arrive, it is difficult to turn them down. Sometimes we try, and on a few occasions we have said no, but the reality is that Verona must maintain financial balance. We have budget targets to meet and we must continue to guarantee the Club's stability. For that reason, in some situations we are forced to sell players. That applies to us, but also to many other clubs. Today I could tell you that a certain player is untouchable, but if an irresistible offer arrives in a month's time, everything could change completely. There are clubs that can afford to keep all of their best players. We have to be realistic and work in a different way. That is why, as the coach said, the most important thing is the work on the pitch, and that is where we will start again.”
You have strengthened your bond with Verona and with the ownership. Can you tell us more about your decision to stay? “This is my eighth season here. Every year, once the season ends, I am mentally exhausted, so I always take some time to understand whether I am ready to face another campaign. Even more so in a place I care deeply about, where I have so many memories and so many friends, like Verona. That is exactly what happened this time. You all know there are clubs that call you and others that do not. Sometimes your name appears in the newspapers, but you know as well as I do how much of that is actually true. Football has become a very media-driven world. I honestly have to thank the President of Lecce, who made an excellent impression on me, and the club approached me in a very positive way in an attempt to bring me there. But I felt this was a moment to reflect. In the end, I chose to stay because I do not believe this is the right time to walk away from a difficult situation. Perhaps I could have left before. I am someone who decided not to leave at a particularly challenging moment. I have no problem saying it openly: when a club is relegated after many years, it cannot continue to operate with the same level of football or the same financial investment. It is a difficult moment for the Club, but my decision was based on what I genuinely felt. I believe staying was the right choice for me. I told myself that I wanted to remain with the people who are here with me and give one hundred per cent to face this challenge everywhere we go. Emotionally, I felt I first had to give an answer to myself and then to this city, especially during a difficult period. For me, difficulty means fighting, working hard and operating in the transfer market out on the pavement rather than in luxury hotels, because it is a different kind of market. But that is how I have always worked, and I will continue to do so for Verona. That is why I decided to stay. From today, with the coach's presentation complete, we have to focus on working because we face many challenges, and the pitch is the only place where we can solve them.”
What kind of league should we expect? “We are facing a very difficult league, and I am not the one saying it—the history of the competition says it. If we look at Serie B, unlike Serie A where every year there are usually five teams fighting to avoid relegation and three go down, in Serie B things are very different. Take away three or four teams and all the others are full of energy, ambition and dreams, but you never know whether they will end up fighting for the play-offs or for something else. It is an extremely balanced league. The atmosphere, hunger and technical organisation all count for a great deal. Those things are important in Serie A too, but there you often come up against clubs with far greater financial resources and much stronger players. In Serie B the gap in quality is much smaller. Desire, determination and willingness to fight make the difference. The atmosphere is also crucial because in certain stadiums it can give teams something extra. It is only natural that some teams will come to the Bentegodi giving one thousand per cent. When we play away from home, every match will be a battle. We have to embrace the reality of Serie B and be ready to fight everywhere, not only on the pitch.”
Of the players who arrived in January, which ones do you believe can still play an important role? And after selling a highly rated local youngster born in 2010, is the right balance now a mix between those January signings and young players? “That has to be the right balance. The players who arrived in January carry fewer scars from the negative situation that existed beforehand, and alongside them there are young players with great hunger. To achieve anything in football, the group is fundamental. The issue with our squad is not whether players are Italian or foreign. The issue is that every year we change many players. Building a new group with players arriving from different parts of Italy and from abroad is never easy. The same problem existed in previous seasons. Individually they are all good lads. Some were naturally quieter and found it harder to socialise, but there were no difficult personalities, apart from Orban, who is a particular character. The real challenge is having enough time to build a team, and unfortunately we have never had that time. If we look at the second half of last season under Sammarco, there was a calm and relaxed atmosphere during training, perhaps even too relaxed. But it was still a group that had not fully understood what a negative result or a defeat really meant for us. We know that every time we sell young players who have performed well and integrated into the squad, replacing them and immediately recreating that positive mentality is not easy.”
On Egharevba's transfer to Fiorentina? “You know how we operate. At a certain point we have to be consistent. Selling a player born in 2010 is not something I enjoy from a sporting perspective. But on 30 June there are deadlines, and we have financial targets that must be met. If we can achieve them through certain players, fine; otherwise we have to do it in another way. Fiorentina made us a truly significant offer. We have to move forward. My dream, as a club, is always to take a young player all the way to the First Team. But we also have to be realistic. Last winter we convinced both the player and his family to stay because otherwise he would already have been in Germany. Without criticising anyone, football has changed. There are very few people left who still make decisions based on emotions. We are all part of a different football world and of a reality in which clubs also need to sell players.”
On Cerbone? “The fact that we are now in Serie B and that the market has changed does not mean I want to sign foreign players at all costs. If we can find young Italian players who fit our pathway, we will do so. Cerbone is still very young, born in 2007, but he performed well in Serie C, which is a highly educational competition for young players. Beyond the figures, which are not those being reported, what matters is bringing in players who are hungry and fearless. Then it will be up to the coach to determine how ready he is, how much work he still needs and how much he can play. At this stage, we are a club that simply cannot afford not to give opportunities to young players who have hunger and ambition.”
Regarding the players who arrived in January? “This is another difficult aspect to analyse, but it helps explain the importance of the group. When you sign many foreign players from abroad, it is not easy to create the right spirit immediately. Sometimes you realise it beforehand, sometimes only once they are here. The two boys who arrived in January had a very positive attitude towards their teammates and showed hunger and a real desire to be here. Naturally, they made a good impression. I hope they are still, so to speak, 'untouched', that they have not yet been influenced by everything that surrounds the transfer market. We know they may receive offers, but if it were up to me, I would keep them off the market. And that is exactly what I am trying to do. Then, if offers arrive that we simply cannot refuse, we will assess the situation.”