Bavagnoli: Much still to fight for this season

The Giallorosse return after the international break with the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-finals against Fiorentina – before resuming a league campaign that currently sees the group fourth in the standings.

Read what the boss had to say about the season to date…

Things did not start well, how did you try to cope with that?

“The first part of the campaign wasn’t easy, we took a couple of early defeats which were hard on us. But they were probably fair, too, because at that point we still hadn’t really worked out how to play as a team and it helped us to grow and improve in that regard. I am lucky enough to have an incredible group of players at my disposal. They all continued to believe, they rolled up their sleeves and put in the hard work in training – and they kept on improving. Since then we have seen the results.”

It’s a mixed group, with young talent and a few more experienced players. Have you been surprised by how some of the young players have come on?

“I haven’t been surprised by the improvement of the girls, especially the younger ones, because we knew that we had a lot of players with incredible potential. The thing that has impressed me the most is their ability, and willingness, to keep working hard in every game, every training session. They’ve shown that spirit and, now, they have that belief that they can change a game at any moment. That’s an important thing?

What does the captain, Elisa Bartoli, bring to the group?

“Elisa brings something special to the team. She is a leader on the pitch, someone who will fight for everything up until the end. She has a wealth of experience, and is an example for the rest both in fitness and technique. She is a player that has taught the younger girls a lot, and is always willing to work with her teammates. I, but especially Roma, couldn’t hope to have a better captain.”

The team’s rise has not gone unnoticed at Tre Fontane, with a lot of fans following the side. What sort of boost has that given you?

“It’s incredibly special to have the fans behind us in this adventure. I’m proud to be the coach of this side not just because I’m working with such a great group, but because we are working for such a passionate group of fans. The Roma supporters who come to the stadium are amazing. I am not Roman, but I have that same passion. The fans are very close to the side, when things are going well and when they aren’t. Women’s teams need that, because it’s football played for the love and that support gives everyone an extra boost.”

After a three-week break for the Cyprus Cup and international matches, the season gets back underway next week with a number of tough games: Fiorentina, Chievo. Will it be difficult to start again?

“After a break there is always a little bit of difficulty in getting go again – but this break has allowed a few players to come back from injury, and for the rest to regain a bit of energy mentally and physically. Clearly it won’t be an easy first game back, as we will be in a semi-final against a top team like Fiorentina. But we have been preparing well and will give our best. We want to push until the very end in the league, we have some tough games and our rivals have improved like us – but we want to underline how far we have come.

What are the expectations for the last part of the season?

“We want to ensure we finish in the top four, as that would be a positive achievement. But along with that we want to keep improving and developing, which you always need to do in football. We still have the three best sides ahead of us – Juventus, Fiorentina and Milan – and it’s hard to see them dropping many points. But we want to make sure we do our part and see what happens. And, naturally, we want to reach the final of the Coppa Italia. We will give everything for that.”