Spezia coach Vincenzo Italiano ‘expected to suffer’ to overcome Frosinone and win promotion to Serie A, thus hailed his young squad's 'fantastic achievement' in the play-offs.
The 1-1 on aggregate against Frosinone means the Aquilotti prepare for their first season in Serie A, as they were promoted due to their superior position in the table.
The 42-year-old coach, who has been linked with Genoa in recent weeks, felt his young side progressed throughout the season and eventually reached the target.
“The initial difficulties, then the constant growth,” Italiano told the reporters after the match. “The young players exploded, and the results have arrived.
“In the end, our confidence and awareness grew, and we managed to achieve this fantastic goal by lifting the Cup and giving a dream to these people who asked for it.
“Entering the history of Spezia was a goal we wanted to achieve. I have been coaching for six years, a journey that in the last three years has seen me rejoice with three consecutive play-offs in Serie D.
“Today, I’m a man of the play-offs and I’m happy about that, because they are always difficult matches to prepare for and it’s really satisfying to have won these play-offs too.”
Frosinone grabbed the lead after 62 minutes and Alessandro Nesta threw everyone forward, making Spezia suffer to claim promotion.
“We knew we had to suffer, the stakes were high, and we are a young side, who don’t know how to manage the advantage. But the result at Frosinone allowed us to have a double chance and we did it!”
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