The 1-1 draw against Sambiase gave a new boost of confidence to Messina, who remained unbeaten away from the “Franco Scoglio” stadium. Forward Angelo Azzara , speaking to the club’s official channels, analyzed the match in Lamezia: “The first half was a bit subdued, but in the second half we took to the field with our ideas and did what we know how. This is the second draw we’ve snatched in the dying seconds after Enna, which shows we never give up and are always focused. I think we’re doing something extraordinary, but there’s still a lot to do. We ‘re still one point behind, the road is long, and there will be difficult moments, as can happen to any team.”
Tourè’s goal in the 94th minute sparked a collective explosion of joy as the match earned a crucial equalizer: ” Tourè was in the right place at the right time. However, it’s important to highlight Elia ‘s performance , who should have been in the stands but, due to Roseti’s injury, found himself on the bench. He came on and provided the assist for the 1-1 draw. We’re all training well, with only Bosia out. We’re doing what the coach asks of us, giving it our all. We didn’t want to lose, and if the goal comes in the 90th minute, it’s only natural to celebrate, even if we only got a draw.”
Sunday’s home game against CastrumFavara will further cement this positive streak: “The coach is asking us to never give up an inch, even during practice when we play practice matches; the spirit is evident. Starting from a 14-point deficit the day before, honestly, it was unthinkable to pick up all these points. Now we have to keep it up; we’re in a good moment. On Sunday we face CastrumFavara, a top-tier team. I know the coach personally and I know he’s got them going strong. We’ll take to the field as always to give our all for this jersey.”
The victory in the Derby dello Stretto against Reggina was incredibly satisfying, the greatest start to the season: “The derby against Reggina was beautiful, truly extraordinary. The best part, in my opinion, wasn’t the goal or the final celebration, but rather the ability to endure the final ten minutes, all united, like a true team that never wants to concede. You could see it when they hit the crossbar twice; we were right there, and that made the difference.”
Wearing the Giallorossi jersey, often coming on as a substitute, Azzara has so far scored two decisive goals in the away win at San Cataldo. His most prolific seasons were with Palermo’s Marineo (8 goals in 2021/22) and Modica (9 goals in 2023/24). The 1996-born player recounts his past: “Before coming to Messina, I played a lot in the Eccellenza league, winning championships, with 60-70 goals to my name. This is my third year in Serie D. I’m always available, even if the coach takes me a minute or 10 minutes, I try to give my all. Football has taught me to always believe and never give up. For example, against Sambiase, if Tourè hadn’t arrived to make it 1-1, I would have been there ready to put the ball in .”
The talented Palermo number 10 recalls arriving in Messina just in time to play the Coppa Italia match against Lamezia, with a squad packed with juniors, when there was practically nothing and the team was a work in progress: “Paduano and I arrived on August 24th, now almost everything has changed. Thanks in part to the guesthouse, we spend 24 hours together. We’re a young group, made up of good guys, who always train well. We’re close-knit and help each other both on and off the pitch. As soon as Messina called ,” he explains, ” I didn’t hesitate for a second and jumped on the train. The penalty didn’t worry me, even though it was logical to do the math. The important thing is to have it almost eliminated, we’re only one point away, we’re on the right track. I hope we can start a new season after that. We’re aware of the team we’ve built, but we have to keep our feet on the ground. The road is still long, and we have to take it game by game.”
