Sampdoria boss Walter Mazzarri was left shaking his head after a potentially costly defeat against former side Reggina.
The Blucerchiati missed a golden opportunity to close the gap on fourth-placed Fiorentina and steal a march on Milan in the race for Champions League qualification, as they were unexpectedly beaten 1-0 by struggling Reggina.
The result ended a positive run that had seen Doria remain unbeaten since losing to Atalanta at the end of February and Mazzarri couldn’t hide his disappointment.
“We were a bit too passive at the start of the game and when they scored while Stefano Lucchini was off the pitch the game changed,” the gifted tactician lamented.
“I realised that it wasn’t a good day when I was unable to make substitutions because of all the injuries we had.
“We tried everything in the second half, but it all went wrong – it just wasn’t our day.
“Now we have to look to the future with optimism and get back on track starting from the match against Udinese.
“I won’t say the words Champions League. We must simply think about getting results and see where we stand at the end. Let’s not talk about objectives that were unthinkable at the start of the season.”
Samp’s next engagement against Udinese is a crucial test in the battle for Champions League football, as a defeat for either side will realistically remove them from the equation.
