Roberto De Zerbi urges Sassuolo to ‘prove we deserve those raised expectations’ by starting the campaign strong against Cagliari.
It kicks off on Sunday at 17.00 UK time (16.00 GMT), click here for a match preview.
“Football has been anomalous for six months now, but we have to adapt and not think about what we did in the past or would prefer to do now,” said the coach in his press conference.
Roberto De Zerbi urges Sassuolo to ‘prove we deserve those raised expectations’ by starting the campaign strong against Cagliari.
It kicks off on Sunday at 17.00 UK time (16.00 GMT), click here for a match preview.
“Football has been anomalous for six months now, but we have to adapt and not think about what we did in the past or would prefer to do now,” said the coach in his press conference.
“We must remember that in football, we always start from scratch. If there are high expectations around Sassuolo, it’s because we showed that we are capable of more, so we need to prove that we deserve those expectations.
“I hear people talking about the Europa League places, but we’ve got to take it one step at a time and build on what we did last term.”
The opening game is against Cagliari, who are coached by former Sassuolo boss Eusebio Di Francesco.
“Knowing the coach, I expect them to be organised, focused, determined and with a balanced approach. They also have talented individuals and every game in the early weeks of a season is going to be tricky, because we’re all still trying to find our feet and can expect the unexpected.
“We’re all in the same boat, enthusiastic to get back on the field and build on last season, hoping to do even better. Some players might be even more motivated, as this season is working towards the Euros, while younger players are determined to make the most of the extra playing time.”
Federico Peluso is suspended, with Jeremie Boga and Francesco Magnanelli injured, but Domenico Berardi does seem to have fully recovered and can start.