Torino's sporting director, GianlucaPetrachi, spoke to DAZN on the evening of the 6th matchday of SerieA, when the team faced Udinese. In an interview lasting about ten minutes, Petrachi illustrated how the long championship break was managed and what the expectations are for the next phase of the season.
Petrachi explained that, unlike other teams, Torino did not play friendly matches against external clubs. “We preferred to stay in Turin and let the Primavera play,” he said. “We organized two matches with our youth team on the Saturdays before the match against Udinese, so as to give work to the new arrivals and make the coach get to know the youngsters better.” According to the manager, this choice was motivated by the strong bond that the club has with the youth sector and by the need to integrate the players arriving in the last phase of the transfer market.
The sporting director also highlighted the importance of the weeks of work with the new coach, GennaroAbate. “The coach had the opportunity to work with the entire squad, with the exception of the national teams,” said Petrachi. “Now he knows the players well and can build a team identity based on weekly work.” The manager underlined that the main challenge for the team is to move from preparatory work to the field test, especially with the new arrivals who need to consolidate their position.
Petrachi concluded the interview by reiterating his trust in the technical direction and structure of the club. “We worked well during the break and now we expect to see a solid identity on the pitch,” he said. Attention is now turned to the next SerieA matches, where Torino will have to demonstrate that they have successfully integrated the new players and that they have built a cohesive team under the guidance of Abate.