Dietmar Pfeifer: “Trapani will be champions, but the fourth play-off place is achievable”

SportNews: Mr. Pfeifer, the FCS currently has 36 points. You are three points away from a play-off place and your team is eight points away from a play-out place. Do you focus downwards or rather towards the clubs that are ahead of you in the table? Dietmar Pfeifer: We are currently looking absolutely forward. I believe that this is absolutely legitimate in the current table situation. We are fewer points away from a play-off place than we are down, where we are eight points ahead. I think Sunday's game against Prato is crucial. If we manage to win, then I think the gap to the clubs at the bottom of the table will be relatively big enough that we won't be caught up in the remaining seven games.

Do you think that FC Südtirol has the potential to be at the top? There is still a lot of potential that many players have not yet exploited. I think that a burden can be lifted from them once we have our primary goal for the season, staying in the league, in our pockets.

You are indirectly addressing Niccolò Giannetti, who came to Bolzano with a lot of praise, but has not yet been able to score a goal for the FCS... Strikers are measured by goals, I realize that. But even though Niccolò hasn't scored a goal yet, he has shown what he can do. On Sunday, for example, after he came on as a substitute, there was a lot of excitement in the attacking game. And if the referee had awarded a penalty after a foul on him, then he would have been the match winner. I am convinced that it is only a matter of time before he scores his first goal. And then some more will be added.

In the next four games, the FCS will face clubs that are behind them in the table. After that come four tough ones, with the championship leader, third, fourth and seventh. Is the remaining program decisive? The program has little to say. The championship is very, very balanced. But we still expect a few more points to achieve our second goal, the play-offs. In my opinion Trapani will be champions. The title can no longer be taken away from you. And three play-off places have already been taken, namely to Syracuse, Spezia and Cremonese.

And what else is in store for the FCS? Together with Lanciano, Pergocrema and Carrarese, and perhaps also Barletta, we are playing for the fourth play-off place. That's within the realm of possibility. The decisive factor will be which of these teams has a good run in the next few games and can put together a winning streak.

Let's assume that FC Südtirol reaches the play-offs and then also manages promotion to Serie B: Would you be prepared for the second division? I say so. Organizationally we are prepared, financially we are prepared. I don't see any problems here. Logistically, we are working at full speed so that state politicians can find a definitive solution to the stadium problem. I have the feeling that state politics is meticulously looking for a solution. At the moment everything indicates that the Drusus Stadium is being expanded.

Is this the ideal solution for FC Südtirol? The ideal solution is when a club gets a piece of land and can build its stadium on it. However, this is not possible in South Tyrol for several reasons, and that is why it is the second ideal solution. The Drusus Stadium is centrally located, but not in the city center and can therefore be easily reached. The city has a great potential of spectators. All of this certainly speaks in favor of the Drusus Stadium.

How satisfied are you with Coach Giovanni Stroppa's work? The minimum goal of staying in the league has not yet been fully achieved. But the team is on the right track. We have absolutely nothing to complain about with Stroppa's work, be it in terms of quality, but also in the way he deals with the players. He also feels very comfortable in Bolzano, at least that's what he emphasizes again and again.

So has the contract with the trainer, which expires on June 30th, already been extended? There have been initial preliminary discussions and Stroppa's feedback was very positive. Now it's time to clarify detailed questions. But as I said, he feels comfortable because the environment is right, because he can work in peace, because there are no financial problems and, last but not least, because he is quickly at home in Brescia. A lot also depends on how our logistical problems with the stadium and training area are solved. The current situation is not ideal for him.

Let's talk briefly about Manuel Fiwickeler. In one Interview , which he recently gave to our colleague Alexander Foppa, Fiwickeler said that he was ready for Serie B. What does the FCS say about the idea of migrating its most important personnel? Manuel played a really good season. We now have to wait and see what opportunities open up for him. We haven't received an incredible number of inquiries yet, but it's still far too early for that. Together we will decide whether a change makes sense. A young player has to play in order to develop. It doesn't help if he moves to Serie A and just sits on the bench. It is also our job to ensure that we place our players where they can continue to grow.

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Dietmar Pfeifer: “Trapani will be champions, but the fourth play-off place is achievable”

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