Gianluca, have three days been enough to at least dull the humiliation of Como?
“It hurts to let in five goals in 90 minutes. Especially considering that we only let in two goals in the previous four games (Editor’s note: the two goals came from Inter). Sunday night I was mad as hell, but then I tried to reason and see things in a different light.”

And what light would that be?
“We played badly at Como. This was a classic game where everything went wrong for us. When days like this happen, there’s little to be done: you lose, and amen. I understand that the fans felt bad: we share their feeling. It’s not good for a keeper, and his helpers, to let in five goals. But…”

On with the counterpoint:
“I, for example, was much more mad after the loss to Atalanta: losing in extra time after getting ahead twice, that hurts. And it hurt the same way to leave three points to Inter, when we deserved at least a draw.”

The fact remains that you let in five goals from a team that has already been relegated.
“We went under, tried to recover, and got caught on their counterattack. We got burned by our excessive generosity. I understand that it may hurt to hear this, but if you are down 3-1 and you understand it’s not your day, you must have the strength to keep that score.”

In the heat of things, Guidolin said the same thing: lose, but save face.
“And instead we gave up too much space to our opponents. At a certain point in the second half the Como players seemed to be coming from all over. And we seemed a mess.”

That is the point: did you just seem a mess, or are you a mess for real?
“The team is not a mess. We messed up one game, that’s true. But sometimes it’s good to be burned. And I’m sure that we’ll never have another afternoon like the one at Como.”

And what remains now?
“A memory of a game to be forgotten: it sounds like a play of words, but that’s how it is. And the knowledge that we must give ourselves fully to quickly reach safety above the relegation zone.”

In ten days, at Perugia, they’ll be chomping at the bit waiting for you.
“We’re not lucky this year. In away games lately we’ve always had to face teams that are playing the game of their life against us. Listen to this: when Reggina beat us, they had been cornered, Piacenza was shut up for a week before the game, same as Como. And Perugia, too, has already gone to camp training.”

What is this, a way to prepare yourself for the worst?
“No, because at Perugia we’ll play mad. To show that Como was just one episode.”