Cagni proud of young Empoli bucks

Empoli FC coach Luigi Cagni was "extremely satisfied" as his young side won 2-1 against Swiss champions FC Zürich in their first ever European game on Thursday.

Youthful lineup
Boasting a starting eleven with an average age of just over 21, Empoli scored either side of the half-time interval through Felice Piccoli and Luca Antonini and created several other opportunities before allowing the Swiss side to score an important away goal through Alexandre Alphonse. However, even that setback could not take the gloss off the Serie A side's European debut.

'The right path'
"I'm extremely satisfied," said Cagni. "This is the right path for a club like Empoli. For a few years we have been investing in youth development and this victory against Zürich was confirmation that we are doing well. I fielded several young and talented players and they all showed their great value on the pitch and fully deserve the first UEFA competition victory in Empoli's history.

Pleasing display
"We will have a few important games in the domestic league in the next weeks but tonight I want only to enjoy this performance," he added. "We pressed them all over the pitch, especially in the first half when we gave them no space and created several opportunities. We missed too many of them but I'm still happy with the way my players have approached this game. Everyone gave his very best for the whole 90 minutes and this is what counts the most for me."

Piccolo's dream
The goalscorers were also over the moon after the game. "I still can't believe I scored in my UEFA Cup debut - it's a dream," said Piccolo. "It was a special night for Empoli and we felt the pressure but we played a great game." Antonini, the oldest player in the Empoli starting lineup at 25, added: "Scoring on such a historical night for Empoli is really a unique sensation."