Pippo and Simone’s tricky conversation

This was the second time that two brothers were fighting against each other as coaches after Simone’s Lazio defeated Pippo’s Bologna 2-0 in 2018.

Ciro Immobile’s fantastic first-half volley at the Stadio Ciro Vigorito was canceled out by Pasquale Schiattarella’s strike on the stroke of half-time for the 1-1 final result.

“I could not have asked for anything more from these lads. They are fantastic and giving me these incredible moments, because playing on a level field with Juventus and Lazio after we were in Serie B last season, it’s amazing,” the Benevento boss told DAZN.

“Lazio were like aliens in the first half, they were in the top 16 in Europe, they dominated us, but we didn’t give up and we got it back on track. I am truly happy that all their hard work is paying off with these results.

“We are newly-promoted, yet we are having our say – whether we lose, win or draw – against teams that ought to be well beyond our reach.

Pippo and Simone have a close relationship and talk with each other almost every day, so how did they prepare for this match?

 “It was really weird last night, as we spoke on the phone at about midnight, the way we usually do. We tend to chat about how the players are going, what we’re planning tactically, but obviously, we had to steer clear of all that! It was a tricky conversation to have.

“It was tough celebrating for a goal scored against my brother and he did the same, we were quite reserved on the touchline compared to usual. There’s nothing you can say, the things my brother achieved with Lazio are extraordinary and he deserves so much credit.”

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