Stankovic welcomes crucial ‘first step’

Dejan Stankovic cut a positive figure after watching his side play out a 1-1 draw with Bologna on Saturday. Speaking post-match, the coach reserved praise for his players’ reaction in the second half, having fallen a goal behind.

“I’m very happy for the boys – they needed that,” Stankovic says. “We showed Bologna a bit too much respect in the first half. But during the half-time break, I said to the players: yes, we’ve conceded, that’s what everyone expected, but now let’s start playing our football again.”

“We started winning second balls and pushed Bologna back. We created chances and put them under pressure. We got the goal and had other chances too – there was also the goal ruled out,” he adds.

Looking ahead, with Roma set to visit the Marassi next Monday, the coach continued: “We’ve got a huge job on our hands – we can’t give up. This is only a first step, but it’s a first step towards an important objective. This week we’ll have a good amount of time to train – we have to work hard.

“I’ve come to a great club in Sampdoria, with great history. The fans were great today. At one point, I looked at them and said – what an honour to see so many of them here despite our situation. I can’t wait to set foot in our home ground.”