Giampaolo: “The season’s not over: we need more points”

Marco Giampaolo is adamant that Sampdoria cannot afford to relax just yet. While last weekend’s derby victory means the Blucerchati are five points clear of the relegation spots, with three games left to play the coach was keen to stress that anything could still happen.

“Our season didn’t end with our victory in the derby,” Giampaolo said at a media conference ahead of Saturday’s match at Lazio. “That was a big piece of the jigsaw but we need more points on the board before we’re sure of being safe.

“We have to focus on playing our own games, not rely on results elsewhere. We must concentrate on doing our part and getting the job done because football is a funny old game and you never know what can happen.

“Lazio are an excellent side with one of the best coaches in Italy. They’ve changed their playing philosophy and you can clearly see [Maurizo] Sarri’s hand. We’re going to need to put in massive performance in every sense.”

The coach also commented on the latest refereeing debate after Lazio beat Spezia in controversial fashion last week

“There’s less room for error when your work is placed under the microscope, whether you’re a player, coach or referee. Every little mistake is amplified. We can’t be worrying about things like that though. We have to stay focused on our objective.”