Cagliari hero Gianfranco Zola insists they can still beat the drop.
Zola believes the character in the team can see them respond to coach Claudio Ranieri's methods.
He told TMW: "What I hope you can imagine, it will be a long and hard season being a newly promoted team which is obviously struggling.
"However, Mister Ranieri's team has a very important quality which is never giving up.
"The Rossoblù do everything with great conviction and this gives them a important hope to bring home salvation."