Collecchio, 22 December 2023 - Coach, Fabio Pecchia’s comments ahead of Parma’s match against Ternana in the press room of the Mutti Training Center in Collecchio. 

WE HAVE TO ABOVE EVERYTHING

“It’s a push right now, the team and the group must be above everything. Above everything happening around us, I realise that there are the festivities, there’s Christmas and everyone wants to be with their families. But Serie B continues so we are playing, we have to be on this pitch. This is our league, we have to be concentrated and only think about the match. It will be an important push that I ask for from the team and the group, even more, because now we have Ternana and straight after, we’ve got Brescia. So more together, more compactness to face up to the final push. I feel proud and happy about our progress, about the desire from the boys and the want to improve. To raise the bar and keep up, that takes energy, both physical and mental. 

We have to be clear-minded about our goal, we have to be above everything that is going on around us. And take on this game with great spirit. Doing it together, as one big group. This is the base, great spirit, the leader of the group is the collective. 

The collective has demonstrated great spirit and intelligence that has allowed us to earn positive results. On top of that, we have individual quality, each of my players can work on this. The best thing, which I already highlighted after Modena after such a clear episode, the boys didn’t get carried away and played our best final 20 minutes of a game this season. And this is further confirmation, like in Cosenza, that after such a situation we are even more concentrated. Nothing else should interest us. Concentrated only and exclusively on our performances. Now I’m asking everyone to be even more together, closer and tighter.

THE CONDITIONS OF THE TEAM

“All available, Hainaut suspended and Ansaldi could probably rest a bit more. Čolak and Begić? They are doing well and working, they’re with the group and in good fitness. They’ve been out of action for a while but they’re working well.

TERNANA ARE IN GOOD FORM

I keep stressing that there are no easy matches or where the opponent comes to Parma to pass the time, every team experiences different weeks, Cosenza had a different week to Ternana. A totally different psychological atmosphere, Ternana; beyond the euphoria they felt, they demonstrated that they never die, coming back to earn results. Then there are many components, that’s the opponent, then the work I have to do is on ourselves, psychological, physical, technical and tactical. And every time is different. We had a great first half in Cosenza, then a circumstantial second half. The team played in the first half and we could have been more direct in finding the goal with Man and Mihaila in a few situations. We can do a lot in the box but we haven’t found the route to goal, this has been the main technical-tactical aspect of the last few matches. Find better positions in the oppositions’ box. Breda? They’ve upped a gear, they have good numbers. He has done some extraordinary things, he has courage and very good young players. Young with enthusiasm and quality. Breda’s work has put Ternana into eighth in the league. A team in good form. The match will be even better. Last year’s match is history.”