Parma coach Fabio Pecchia was all smiles after his team’s 2-1 win over Milan on Saturday night, admitting it was a “perfect birthday” after goals from Dennis Man and Matteo Cancellieri.
The Parma coach celebrates his 51st birthday on Saturday, but there was little time for celebrations before kick-off at the Tardini Stadium.
Pecchia was particularly pleased with the performances of Pontus Almqvist and Matteo Cancellieri, both of whom arrived relatively late in the transfer window.
“Yes, it’s a perfect birthday,” Pecchia told DAZN with a big smile on his face.
“Cancellieri and Almqvist arrived 10 days ago. It’s not always easy to fit in under these circumstances, especially with limited training, but they have great character. I’m happy because even though we suffered, their play enabled us to win a great game.”
He believes there is still a lot of work to be done after Parma’s promotion at the end of the 2023-24 season.
“We have to adapt to Serie A, which is completely different from Serie B.
“In the first year we played with Vazquez as a false nine, last year we played in the opposition half with a completely different game plan. The teams here are stronger, the teams put us under more pressure and the pitch seems to be opening up more and more. “I am happy with the first half, but also with the second. We didn’t just defend for ourselves, we always had the desire to go out and win.”
Pecchia has great confidence in his young team, joking to reporters that some of his players can’t even drive yet.
“I have always said that it makes no sense to ask this team for experience. I have to rely on their youth and their desire to have fun, I have to follow them.
“I’ve been working with them for two years now and have seen their growth. There are some people here who don’t even have a driver’s license. That’s an advantage for us.”
