Monza were beaten 2-1 at home to leave them in the bottom three and Nesta facing a meeting with the club's board.
Nesta, this was the game to win. What happened?
"It's difficult to comment on this match against Udinese. We shot 30 times and risked very little, but we have to take the lead every now and then, we can't always chase. Because then you can also play different games. The team played well with moments of attack. Crossbar, saves: I feel sorry for my players who deserve much, much more."
At times Monza suffered dangerous counterattacks. Why?
"Unfortunately we lost our balance when we went looking for the win. On Udinese's 2-1 goal we misread the situation, for me what we need to improve immediately is to take the lead. I repeat, after chasing is always difficult. The whistles at Maldini? I'm sorry because he takes on a lot of responsibility, he aims to beat the man and tries something even beyond the norm. We in that area must create more and be more incisive in the last 20 meters. Am I in question? I feel in question not for the match but for the standings. I know the work I do and the consequences of the standings. If I have to go home it's not a problem because I know how it works."
How do you get out of this moment psychologically?
"Our players are strong and can determine more because they have great quality. Clearly the standings can determine something unconsciously. We need a game played well, which gives us momentum. A win would give us courage, maybe they could bring a few more goals. We need the win, there's not much to say. Now it's up to me to solve the team because this defeat with Udinese was a blow. From my point of view I will prepare the match against Lecce if I have the opportunity to do so. My players are all heartbroken but if we were to continue playing like this I'm sure that victory will come. This also gives me courage to make the leap in quality. If the standings were to lengthen it would become a problem, we need to get points."
Nesta, how can you make the leap in quality? Maybe in reading the key moments of the game?
"In some situations, Monza can be even more balanced. We lost a few balls and we paid for everything, we paid too dearly for everything. Not much to say. If I talk about courage, however, I cannot tell my players to all stay behind. Courage is needed, at home it was needed to win. We lost against Udinese but we did not lack courage. And I appreciate that."
Did you expect to find yourself so low down in the standings at this point when you arrived in Monza?
"I thought I had a better ranking because along the way I saw the team grow well. But in this situation we also have to stay there, with courage trying to get out of it. I have courage. Then there is the club that will make its decision. Dr. Galliani is always close to me, then if he makes another decision I will hug him anyway. But I will sell my skin dearly."