Fabio Grosso acknowledged he “took a gamble, and Sassuolo displayed immense courage” by securing a 1-1 draw away to Juventus, despite a week overshadowed by a whooping cough outbreak within the squad.
The Neroverdi’s preparation for their trip to the Allianz Juventus Stadium was far from ideal. In addition to injured players Fali Candé, Alieu Fadera, Daniel Boloca, and Edoardo Pieragnolo, the team was battling a whooping cough cluster.
While only one case has been officially confirmed, four other players — Nemanja Matic, Kristian Thorstvedt, Woyo Coulibaly, and Stefano Turati — were forced to self-isolate after exhibiting symptoms of the highly contagious respiratory virus, preventing their participation in the match.
Grosso Proud of Sassuolo’s Spirit
“It was a phenomenal performance, truly extraordinary, surpassing even the most optimistic expectations,” Grosso stated with a smile on Sky Sport Italia.
“This has been an incredibly tough week, but we delved deep to find our courage and were rightfully rewarded. The lads performed at an exceptional level, and while a bit of luck is often needed in such scenarios, we earned this point through our tactical approach, unwavering attitude, and sheer determination.”
Despite the challenges and coming off two consecutive Serie A defeats, Sassuolo resiliently fought back from Kenan Yildiz’s opening goal to equalize through Andrea Pinamonti.
Manuel Locatelli had an opportunity to snatch a late winner for Juventus, but Arijanet Muric cemented his Man of the Match performance by skillfully denying the penalty.
“We were so close to the final whistle when the penalty was awarded, facing so many difficulties, yet I urged the players to persist no matter what happened,” Grosso continued.
“At one point, they were perhaps the only ones in the world who, in the 93rd minute away at Juventus, went for two consecutive corners and relentlessly pushed for another goal, rather than trying to run down the clock. That is the remarkable quality of this Sassuolo team – this blend of courage and almost naive self-belief that allowed us to achieve this result.”
Sassuolo had never previously drawn an away Serie A match against Juventus, having lost nine of their prior visits and secured only one victory in 2021.
“I took a significant risk tonight, but I placed my trust in the young players who deserved this opportunity. By asking the lads to be brave, I also had to demonstrate courage myself to maintain credibility. I selected numerous attacking players, and we certainly took risks, but I admired their attitude and the fact that we created a fair number of chances against a formidable opponent.”
Grosso famously scored the penalty that clinched the 2006 World Cup for Italy. With the play-offs approaching and Gianluca Scamacca of Atalanta injured, would he recommend Gennaro Gattuso call up Pinamonti instead?
“Andrea is an excellent striker, but I am naturally biased. He still has room to improve and become even more decisive, but he is a complete forward with all the necessary attributes. We are all supporting the Nazionale and trust the decisions Rino will make; therefore, we must strive to back and encourage them, rather than constantly seeking fault. Positive energy is what’s needed.”
