Sapienza: With Respect for Atalanta, We Are Not Afraid of Them

The former head coach of Esteghlal, ahead of the difficult match against Paphos versus Atalanta, emphasized that his team must deliver a flawless performance to secure a result in Italy.

According to "Verzeh Se", Paphos Cyprus team will face Atalanta in Bergamo on Thursday night in their first match in the group stage of the European Conference League. In the press conference before this match, Riccardo Sapinto pointed out the strength of the Italian opponent and spoke of his full confidence in the abilities of his students.

"We are entering a match against a team that wants to win the championship," Sapinto said at the beginning of his speech. Atalanta is a club with a great history and a very good coach. "We will play our game and hope to get the best possible result."

The Portuguese head coach of Paphos said about Maurizio Sarri's praise of his team: "Hearing positive words from the opponent is always a good thing. We respect them and it is nice that they respect us. We must believe in ourselves. "We respect Atalanta, but we are not afraid of this team."

He continued: "We have performed well in domestic competitions and in some games we have had a bit of luck. "Now we have to enjoy participating in such a match."

"I have watched several Atalanta matches," explained Sapinto in his technical evaluation of Atalanta. They have also played many consecutive games and may make some changes in their lineup tomorrow. "However, if we really want to get something out of this match, we have to play a perfect game."

Paphos player Nicolas Ioano also said in this press conference: "In Italian football, they work a lot on tactical and running issues. I told my teammates that we should believe in our abilities and implement the coach's plan completely on the field."