Serie BKT 2026/27 | Head coach Marco Baroni’s words ahead of #VeronaVicenza

Verona - Statements from Gialloblù head coach Marco Baroni, given two days ahead of Hellas Verona-Vicenza, the matchday 5 fixture of the 2026/27 Serie BKT season, scheduled for Sunday, September 20 at 3 PM at the 'Bentegodi' Stadium.

The preventive ban on Vicenza fans effectively takes away an important spectacle for those who have this derby in their blood. What is your opinion? “Clearly, there is disappointment, because as a sportsman it is obvious that football belongs to the public and the people. In Italy, there is a strong preventive approach, because even before the fixtures are released, people are already talking about away trips that may be banned. It almost seems as though this preventive approach is the only solution. I don't want to get into these discussions, other than to strongly emphasise how disappointing this is, because football, the spectacle, belongs to the people, the fans and the public.”

The team doesn't seem to be coached by a former defender: you are among the teams that have scored the most goals, but is there still something you need to improve defensively? “We are the team that has conceded the fewest shots on target, but unfortunately there are still some things to adjust in terms of balance. There is a lot to work on; this is a process that we have undertaken together. The direction is clear, but within this process there are steps that we need to improve together with the team. We are aware of this, we work on it every day, we talk about it and we are looking for a strong identity and a strong balance, because everything also comes down to consistency, not only from one match to another, but also within the 90 minutes. This is one of the areas we are working hard on.”

What kind of team are Vicenza? “Vicenza are a very dangerous team with an important squad. There are some good individuals, but above all their strength lies in the collective. They are a team that attacks the goal very well, puts balls into the box and knows how to play vertically. We know very well that it will be a difficult match, but we have prepared for this aspect.”

We have seen a very talented team from a technical point of view, but one that still needs to grow stronger in terms of character. What impact did the result against Benevento have on this week? “We are coming off a defeat that was perhaps unexpected considering the way the match went and the values on the pitch. We were angry and disappointed ourselves, first and foremost. There was a great deal of pain, both personally and as a team. I perceived it, we felt it and experienced it, and I believe it certainly gives us an opportunity to grow. We have to do that; we are aware of it, we want it and we desire it. The team knows that it has to improve. You know that I don't like talking about time, because we don't have any. That's the truth, but we have to race against time and quickly improve these lapses, these situations in which there is no perception of danger. Maybe from a corner or when a player comes inside and moves up, you think that a goal can't come from there, and so you end up making a performance that had been very good up to that point more difficult. Now there is the derby, and I believe that within this match there are all those elements where you know very well that you cannot afford to fall short.”

How is Ekuban? “He had been out, so we are working on getting him back into condition. During this process he had a slight setback, but there is no injury of any kind. We slowed things down slightly for a week. I am convinced that after the international break the player will already be back at full capacity with the team; I am almost certain of it.”

Is Suslov physically ready to start from the first minute? And do you plan to use him centrally or out wide on the right? “When I spoke about the break, I meant that it can also be a time when we can work on something different from this point of view. As for Suslov, it is primarily an issue for him: first of all, he needs to regain the right attitude. He went through a period in which he had other things on his mind, which is understandable, because, as you know, we have talked about it. Clearly, it is often easy to bring the body back in, whereas the mind is a little more difficult. We are working on this. The player has shown me tremendous willingness so far, so it will be main

After the wins against Cagliari and Arezzo, enthusiasm had returned around the team. How much could a great performance in the derby help bring that enthusiasm back? “I would take a small step back here. If you noticed, after the match against Cagliari and after the one against Arezzo, I tried to avoid speaking because it seemed to me that there was excessive euphoria. I should have toned it down myself with my words, but I thought it wasn't the right time to stop it. However, I want to talk to you about balance, which is everything that has ultimately helped me achieve something important in life. I don't like ups and downs, so just as I wasn't euphoric after the wins against Cagliari and Arezzo, I am not pessimistic now. I know that there is a process to go through. In a rebuilding process with so much change, there are setbacks. The important thing is that they help you improve. I am convinced that these setbacks must also make us stronger. So I really see this as an opportunity for growth.”

There was a tactical adjustment against Benevento. Is that an alternative route, or will you continue working on the same system? “We are not moving away from the two wide players and the back four. In midfield, we have three players, with either a higher or a deeper pivot. With the higher pivot, a striker can also play there, making it a 4-2-3-1 with a forward, or a 4-2-3-1 with a midfielder who can then drop deeper during build-up and become a 4-3-3. We will not change this system because we have started working on something that I believe in and that the team also strongly believes in. Within this, though, it is clear that there are solutions we can consider. The break can also allow us to work on this, as well as giving us the opportunity to have some players return.”

After five matchdays, is it correct to define the derby as the first turning point of the season? “No, it is not a turning point. It is a crucial, hugely important match. I am sorry to talk about the break because, for me, the derby is played as if there were no tomorrow. This is the feeling I have conveyed to the team. A derby is prepared for, anticipated and then you go out onto the pitch to deliver a very high-level performance in every respect, because otherwise you don't come out of it well. Then the result is often a component of what you bring onto the pitch. Right now, our focus is on this match, which is important precisely because of the rivalry and for many other reasons. It is another one of those important matches. We need difficult games to raise our level. This is the message I am giving the team and everyone outside it as well.”

How important is it to have a large squad, also considering the impact of the players coming off the bench? “It is fundamental. When I talk about having twenty starters, it is something I remind the team of every day. For me, the result often changes in the second half, in the second quarters of the match. Players who don't start from the first minute often think they are less important, whereas they are actually the most important ones. This is one of the things I always remind the team of, in addition to the fact that having everyone switched on and focused raises the level of training and the team's work.”

What is the situation regarding the unavailable players, also considering Serdar, Bega and Frese? “As for Serdar, we are working on it. The player is doing well and I have to say that he has also progressed a little faster than expected. Clearly, he needs to regain certain adaptations which, after the kind of injury he had, he needs to recover. But we are already satisfied and today, I believe tomorrow, he will complete his first full week with the team. For me, that is already important. The break will give him further work and will also allow him to recover from the workload. I think Bega will also rejoin the group from Monday. As for Frese, we had initially talked about four or five weeks. I think he is also close to returning and could already be available after the break, if not in the first week, then certainly in the second.”

Edmundsson is going through a difficult period. How is he and, conversely, what has allowed Sarr to be so effective in front of goal? “Sarr is a very sensitive player who needs to feel appreciated and to have continuity in terms of playing time. I am giving him that and he is working very hard to improve. He is a player we are counting on and I believe that, if he continues to work like this, he could have a personal surprise from this position as well. We are very happy. As for Edmundsson, against Benevento he touched the ball 90 times, with 71 successful passes. For a centre-back who is working on a build-up style that he was not usually accustomed to, it is clear that this is one of the areas in which he needs to grow. As I told you before, he is a wonderful person, a spectacular athlete. It is normal that, for him as for many others, some mistakes can happen, but I believe in his improvement and in him consolidating the role at a very high level. We have brought him, in terms of his style of play, to do something he wasn't accustomed to. I believe we will soon find the balance between the two situations. Given the way we play and because we are often forced to take the game to the opposition, he is really working very well, just as everyone has improved, including Korac himself. From this point of view, I am happy with the process. It is clear that we have to eliminate the mistakes, we know that very well, because in the end what matters is still the result.”

Are the defensive mistakes seen so far mainly individual, or is there something that is not working in the work prepared during the week? “It is clear that there are things we need to improve. I'll give you the example of the first goal we conceded from a corner against Benevento: we can do better because there are a couple of positions in which we are a little too deep. But we are working on it. You know that I don't like excuses. When I spoke after the match about three games in eight days with travel, it wasn't because of the fatigue from travelling, but because as a consequence you have very few hours to train and very little time to work. When you play matches so close together, you spend more time recovering than working. If I have to take responsibility, it is my responsibility, not the team's, which nevertheless did some things well in certain respects. In my opinion, we made some mistakes because we need to improve our work, so I take responsibility for that.”

Having experienced matches like this as a player, can having the entire crowd on your side become more of a pressure than a boost? “For us, pressure is life; those who don't have it stay at home. We want the pressure. The higher it is, the more it means that we are doing well. So, even though I cannot be inconsistent with what I said at the beginning about how much I enjoy having the entire fanbase behind us, what matters tomorrow is how we take to the pitch. This is what the people want to see: the attitude, a determined team, a team that goes out there and fights for every ball. Because that is what we will have to do, ball by ball, metre by metre. That is the mantra for these matches.”