Cagliari coach Diego Lopez has expressed his delight following his side’s 1-0 win against Fiorentina at the Stadio Sant’Elia on Saturday evening.
Mauricio Pinilla converted a penalty in the 39th minute after Facundo Roncaglia had brought down Marco Sau in the area, and the Sardi held on to their advantage until the final whistle to end a run of three straight losses, and earn their first win of the calendar year.
“I never doubted the quality of my squad,” he told Sky Sport Italia.
“We played a fantastic game against a team which possesses so much quality, I’m happy with how the lads worked during the week.
“The trust of the club? I have always had it.”
Uruguayan midfielder Matias Vecino and Brazilian playmaker Adryan made their debuts for the Isolani, with Nene making a return from injury.
“Vecino and Adryan? They came on with the right mindset, and did well,” Lopez continued.
“They sacrificed a lot for the team and worked hard.
“Adryan has excellent technique and is very good at dribbling, while Vecino does a lot of running and has great quality.”
“I’m glad that Nene has come back into the team.”
Uruguayan midfielder Matias Cabrera has drawn a lot of criticism for his handball, which proved pivotal in the Sardi’s 2-1 defeat to AC Milan in week 21, as it led to Mario Balotelli’s game-changing free-kick with just three minutes to play.
“Cabrera? You can’t crucify a player for one mistake.”
