The regret for the epilogue remains, but it does not erase the good things built during the season. Antonio Buscè, in taking stock of his experience on the rossoblù bench, clearly vindicates the work carried out by the group and the staff. From the disappointment of the match against Casarano to the technical choices that ended up at the center of the debate, up to the relationship with the club, underlining the overall value of the journey completed.
«It was a very important year, from many points of view and the balance remains positive, I think it is there for all to see», underlines the coach. «The staff and the kids worked with great seriousness». Our thoughts inevitably return to the playoff match against Casarano, which left us bitter for the way it developed: «It’s sad, especially for how it went in the first forty minutes. The team had approached well, giving the feeling of being able to control the match. But then football can be cruel: you make mistakes, you get punished and everything changes.”
For Buscè, the turning point was above all mental. «After the first goal conceded, Cosenza lost certainty and clarity, leaving space for their opponents. When you take a hit like that, the head makes the difference. That’s where a game and maybe even a season is decided. We disunited just at the moment when we needed to remain united.”
The coach also focuses on some internal dynamics that have emerged in recent weeks, in particular on the statements of some players regarding technical choices. The tone remains calm, but the message is clear: «The decisions are up to the coach and must be respected. It’s part of football, there are players who accept them with serenity and others who perhaps struggle more, but my role also imposes this type of responsibility for the good of the team. Buscè also recalls that, during the year, many players found space between the championship and the Italian Cup, a sign of careful management of the entire staff. Regarding the future, however, the words reveal a certain distance from society.
“I didn’t meet with anyone and they never called me again,” he observes. A simple phrase, but one that carries weight in the language of football. “Silence is also a signal,” he adds, suggesting that the relationship may now be close to its conclusion. No open controversy, but the desire to defend what has been built: «In football, judgments often focus on the last match, but a championship must be evaluated as a whole. I did a good job in an important place like Cosenza, it’s normal that some calls might arrive, we’ll see what happens.”
Empoli and Pescara are at the window, the coach says he is calm: «I know the work that has been done together with my staff and with what dedication we have carried out this path». Finally, a heartfelt passage is dedicated to the environment and the fans, fresh from weeks of protest against the club. «Cosenza leaves me a lot, I found a group with which we worked well and a place that lives football with great passion. The team showed important things at several moments during the season.” Buscè does not hide his displeasure for a climate which, in his opinion, has ended up penalizing the team above all. «The thing that hurts the most is that, in this situation, it was the group who lost out. When there is unity around the team, in a season you can even bring home ten or twelve more points.”
Hence the bitterness for an ending experienced with a less hot stadium than usual: «Seeing few people in the stands was painful. The support of the public matters a lot, but I won’t go into the merits of the reasons, I only thought about the pitch.” Pride remains for the journey made. «I believe that this team had an important year and that this must remain». Measured but far from banal words from Buscè who defends the work done and does not hide his bitterness at an epilogue different from the one hoped for. In the background remains the silence of society.
