Giampaolo previews Empoli clash: “Respect for the club, fans and our reputation”

Sampdoria may only be playing for pride in this season finale but Marco Giampaolo knows his team have plenty of reasons to be proud – and listed them on the eve of Sunday’s match against Empoli at the Stadio Ferraris.

“We must play our remaining games with the right approach,” he told the gathered media. “We did that against Parma and we must do the same tomorrow. The lads have trained well again this week. We must be motivated by respect for the club, the fans and our reputation, as well as our desire to improve on last season and grow.”

The boss went on to praise tomorrow’s opponents while ruling out any possibility his side might do less than their best, with Genoa potentially still involved in a relegation scrap.

“I like the way Empoli play, I really do. Despite being a so-called small team, they always try to play good football and stick to their playing principles. Losing their head-to-head clash with SPAL was a big blow for them but they’ll come here looking for points.

“The fact that the other half of the city is rooting for us is a crazy thought and in some ways something for us to be proud of. However, our professionalism must come before anything else.”

Giampaolo then commented on what the future may hold.

“The president and I will sit down to discuss the future between the games against Chievo and Juventus. I don’t think there’s much else to add. You should always look to improve – as a club, coach or player. Otherwise you get stuck in a rut. I like it when everyone is striving to step up to the next level. I’m not reproaching the club or the strategy adopted thus far – I’m speaking for myself.”