Siena vs Torino preview - Cosmi in confident mood

Posted Sunday, August 26, 2012 by PA

Siena coach Serse Cosmi is staying bullish about his side's chances of survival in Serie A this season despite his club's failure to overturn a six-point penalty for having knowledge of sporting fraud.

Siena were the hardest hit of the club's penalised over the affair, with newly-promoted Torino, against whom Siena kick off their new Serie A campaign on Sunday, starting with a one-point deduction.

Cosmi said: "The minus six points does not bother me.

"I worry more about how much more anxious it might make the players, so I have ordered them not to look at the table until Christmas, and I will do that too.

"It is a very difficult start for us and it is not really true to consider Torino as a newly-promoted team because of their history.

"It is a very important game and the points are important to us."

Torino, who just missed out on the Serie B title last season, will once again be guided by tactically astute coach Giampiero Ventura, and have strengthened with the likes of Jean-Francois Gillet, Matteo Brighi and Mario Santana.

Santana in particular is set to make an impact on Sunday, with Torino president Urbano Cairo saying: "The Argentinian was the first player we were asked to sign by Ventura.

"He can play out wide and will therefore be very useful to us."