Livorno are battling relegation in Serie A and faced Juventus yesterday evening in a clash which many would have almost certainly viewed as the toughest of their remaining seven.
That proved to be the case as they fell to a 2-0 defeat to the current Italian Championship holders, what was unusual about the loss was that top goalscorer Paulinho was benched.
The Brazilian has been a leading light for Amaranto this season and his 12 league goals have given Livorno a fighting chance of beating the drop.
Therefore the decision by manager Domenico Di Carlo to leave him among the substitutes and not even bring him on seemed bizarre to the neutral.
However, Di Carlo has explained his reasoning to Rai Sport after the game – Forza Italian Football quoted the 50-year-old.
“You need to understand that we have other forwards,” Di Carlo explained.
“Paulinho is a player who could play for any side in Serie A, I was worried that against a physical team like Juventus he could pick up an injury.”
With Livorno hosting Chievo this weekend, Paulinho’s presence in leading the line will be vital.
Three points for Paulinho’s team will move them out of the bottom three and should the Brazilian play a key part in achieving that Di Carlo’s decision will prove correct.
