Motta & Perin press conference

Perin:

“There is a lot of enthusiasm after the victory against Lazio, but we are developing the ability not to be influenced by what happens around us, motivating ourselves day by day – finding pleasure in being together, putting passion and joy into our training.

Personally I am very happy: we are trying to build a new philosophy and I am trying to help in many ways. Where can we go from here? There’s a song that says ‘We’ll only find out by living’. Now all we’re thinking about is Stuttgart.

On a personal level I can say that we are talking with the club about my renewal: there is a desire on both sides to continue together. I don’t feel like a second goalkeeper, because they don’t make me feel like one in the dressing room: I am a co-keeper. We all have to be good at putting the Coach in difficulty, making him understand that we are ready. We are 23 possible starters, this is the direction football is taking.

With Di Gregorio we are building a great relationship: he, Carlo and I push each other every day to improve. There is healthy competition: when you wake up in the morning and can’t wait to be on the pitch working, you can’t ask for more. That’s one of the reasons why you play football.

Technically you never stop improving, you can always make progress: I feel very involved on the pitch, the Coach wants us to ask for the ball, giving our teammates an extra option. It’s a way of highlighting our talents, with the ball at our feet.

Our victory in Leipzig raised the bar, it gave us awareness of where to try to get to: we can aim for goals that have to evolve over the course of the season, when there is that energy on the pitch you can garner even more strength.

The game is not only about attacking, but also defending: we are all involved in both phases. Our philosophy is also a state of mind, an attitude that leads us to simplify situations on the pitch, knowing when to accelerate and when to be conservative. We are trying to build a new spirit and the coach and staff are helping us to simplify this process.

The quality of our team is high, and our maximum potential has not yet been reached: as players we know we have to work to push our limits. The mental aspect is crucial in this, as in any job: everything starts from the mind, even in professional football.”

And now the Coach’s turn…

Motta: “Tomorrow we have to play a complete game, Stuttgart are good with the ball and when they regroup it becomes difficult to penetrate their defence, they have a way of understanding football that I like, but these are the most beautiful games to play.

In Leipzig I experienced a beautiful moment: in the difficulty, a positive energy was created that infected everyone, both on the pitch and on the bench. We came out in the right way, taking a deserved and very beautiful win. But now we are focused on tomorrow and have only Stuttgart on our minds.We must continue to improve in all aspects, both in terms of the game and mentally: we must be humble and only think about the next game, having the right attitude and wanting to do things together, as a team, in the right way.I consider everyone to be a starter, but each player is different: I demand the same from everyone, but I know that everyone must be treated according to his gifts and abilities.

My ‘victory’ is to have strong players at my disposal: if we all go in the same direction, knowing that personal goals come through teamwork, it makes our job easier.We have to keep an eye on all the Stuttgart players, collectively they know what to do: we have to fight to control the game, because Stuttgart play good football and involve a lot of players in the offensive phase. We must not let them trouble us, they know what to do on the pitch and we must take the game to where it suits us.I am happy with the work Yildiz does on the pitch, he puts all his quality at the disposal of the team: he can certainly do better, but I am happy with what I see him doing. He’s only born in 2005, he’s already making an impact and I’m happy with what I see both as a wide player and when he comes in more centrally, as a defensive and offensive player.

Danilo? Everyone can be a starter tomorrow, while Cambiaso could captain again. We face a good team that has a very prepared coach, the age of those sitting on the bench is not important. McKennie can always be useful on the pitch, at the moment he thinks like everyone else only of Stuttgart and not our next game against Inter. Whoever plays tomorrow will give 200%.It will be a different game to the last one, it’s not just us who have difficulties against teams that close down well: everyone struggles, football is like that and that’s why we have to give our all, believing until the end in our strategy and in what we prepare during the week. We hope to perform well, playing good football: that way we will have a better chance of winning.There is no difference between the league and the Champions League: we must always have the same attitude, then each match is a story in itself – with evolving strategies and situations. We have to be better than Stuttgart.”