Torino test for European hopefuls
Posted Saturday, January 05, 2013 by PA
Catania will continue their "impossible" dream of qualifying for Europe next season when they host Torino at the Stadio Massimino.
Catania ended 2012 in the top half of Serie A, with no relegation worries but more than just an eye on the scramble for places in Europe next season.
"It's only right that the fans dream, but we have got to keep our feet on the ground," club president Antonino Pulvirenti said.
"The statistics say that it is impossible for Catania ever to play in Europe, but it's also true that if we confirm the results we have obtained so far, and if one of the big clubs slips up, then anything can happen."
The Sicilians have managed to grow year on year in the top flight with Rolando Maran carrying the team forward after an excellent job done by Vincenzo Montella in guiding them to 11th last term.
The 48 points from the 2011/12 campaign bettered the 47 from 2010/11 and the previous record of 45 set the year before that, and they are more than halfway to that record with one game to go before the midway stage of the season is reached.
"It was a fantastic year," Pulvirenti told Sky television. "A year full of success, changes and consolidation."
For 2013 to get off on the right foot, Catania need to beat a side who had an equally memorable year, clinching promotion back to the top flight after three years in Serie B.
"They are tough opponents and we are going to have to be united," Maran said.
"(Giampiero) Ventura is a coach who always manages to give his side a precise identity and he is a colleague whom I have always respected.
"To beat them, we are going to have to have the right aggression and concentration, trying all the time to forget about our defeat to Pescara."
The winter break has enabled Ventura to regain a full complement of fit players in his squad, giving him several options for the trip to Sicily.
"All of the players are available, but we will have to see who actually plays because you've always got to ponder different aspects," he said.
"We are going to play a team who, after the big clubs, are one of those who have the best quality.
"They have changed coaches and players over the years, but they keep on doing well."
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