Pillon: «Bari, all that remains is to win»

BARI - On the benches of Bari and Cosenza in 2003 and five years ago respectively, Bepi Pillon quickly leafs through the album of memories as a former coach of the two teams and immediately projects himself towards Thursday's match in Calabria. Waiting for professional news after his last stint on the bench of Triestina, the coach from Treviso takes stock of the situation of the red and white championship.

Pillon, tomorrow Bari plays in Cosenza. Another opportunity not to be missed.

«Bari absolutely must win in Cosenza, against an opponent who is experiencing a dramatic situation».

Last Saturday's defeat against Modena seems to have lowered the biancorossi's chances of at least finishing eighth.

"There's no point in denying it: the match against the Emilians was disappointing. At this moment, there are fewer and fewer matches and the championship is getting shorter. The points taken are therefore becoming decisive. In this too, continuity is needed. That is, alternating victories and draws to reach the playoffs. Not achieving this goal would be a shame. Now, all that matters is winning matches. It's not easy, but we have to try."

In the last four months, out of seven matches at San Nicola, Bari has won at home only twice against Frosinone and Palermo. Too little for a team that aspires to be great.

"There was a lack of continuity at home, where the home field advantage should have been better exploited. Usually, at San Nicola the team dominates, also with the help of the public. The technical values ​​are not lacking. However, it is useless to dwell on what has been. We must only think about what remains to be done. Reflect on what is needed to avoid certain errors, understand where we are going wrong. Longo has the experience to understand these issues, having also won Serie B in the past. He is a coach who has the right motivations to take Bari where it deserves to be. That is to say, at least to the playoffs to try to climb to Serie A."

In the same period, away from home there have been four draws, two defeats and one victory. Longo is unable to find the balance and equilibrium for the necessary continuity.

"If the results don't come, it doesn't always depend only on the coach. From the outside, it's easy to hazard an analysis. You should get into the dynamics of the locker room, into the management of the players. Understand, for example, the organizational and tactical aspect of the game. If I were Longo, right now I would evaluate where things went wrong. On paper, the team is there. But, I repeat, you need to understand where you're going wrong and evaluate what's missing to focus on your work, thinking game after game. This is more valid now than ever, given that there are only four days left. The calendar on the horizon is not easy at all. With three points, you jump up in the standings. At this juncture, that's all that matters."

After Modena, the manager declared that Bari is overvalued compared to the Serie A objective. Do you agree?

"Longo's words are surprising. It seems to me that it has always been stated that the team was built to aim for the playoffs. In my opinion, it is a mistake to make certain statements. There are still four games to go and the team only needs confidence. The rest is just talk. Only facts count."

A season of regrets, between setbacks and illusions, is about to end. The relationship with the fans is also strained. What to expect from the last four games of the season, three of which away from San Nicola?

"You have to stay close to the team and then at the end we'll draw conclusions. The players must feel the closeness of the fans. The playoffs are still within reach. The people should stay united with the players."

Three defeats and two draws in the last five games for Cosenza. The Calabrians are last at minus eight from the quartet that precedes them. Against Bari, for them it will be practically the last chance for salvation.

"In the past years, Cosenza has been very good at earning good salvations. However, this year I see it as much more difficult. Against Bari, it will be a do-or-die for them. I will follow the game. Let's see what comes out."

The rossoblù have one of the worst defenses in Serie B, with 50 goals conceded. Bari cannot help but take advantage of this.

"The four penalty points also weighed heavily on Cosenza. A burden carried throughout the season. The numbers say that only a miracle can save them."

In Cosenza you worked for a few months in the midst of the Covid pandemic. What kind of interlude was it?

"The months spent in Calabria were difficult on a personal level. With the pandemic, everything else took a back seat and it became very difficult to manage the football environment. I decided to put my family first and returned home."