AS Saint-Étienne took part in his last friendly game on the way to Sardinia, as part of the Luigi Riva trophy. The team met Cagliari, and the Italian coach expressed his impressions after the meeting, of the comments reported on the official website of Cagliari. The start of the game was difficult for the Greens, who had difficulty building their actions and winning the passes. Gradually, the game was balanced, with an improvement in ASSE’s offensive intentions, although they failed to realize their opportunities. An injury to Bernauer necessitated his replacement with Apiah, who made a major rescue. Despite a better collective mastery, the Stéphanois team struggled to be dangerous in the last 30 meters.

Cagliari took advantage of an ASSE clearance error to open the score of a skylight strike. In the second half, the Greens dominated the game, but without significant efficiency. Duffuss distinguished itself by individual action, but the changes made failed to reverse the trend. Cagliari’s defence proved to be solid, resistant to a team from Stéphanois still in the run-up phase. This third consecutive defeat highlighted the need for many adjustments before the competition resumed in Laval.

Fabio Pisacane, coach of Cagliari, stressed the importance of the Gigi Riva trophy for the city, Sardinia and Italian football. He expressed the pride of winning this first edition, after working intensively on team improvement. Pisacane insisted on the quality of the group, the motivation of the players and the work accomplished during the second week of preparation, during which they focused on crucial aspects. He concluded by expressing his satisfaction with the encouraging responses to the match, and stressing the importance of continuing on this path.