There is a quiet confidence around ASD Quattro Mori Cagliari as they prepare for the opening leg of the ETTU Europe Cup Women semi-final against SKST Plus Hodonin. It’s not just about results, it’s about momentum, belief, and a team that clearly enjoys fighting for each other.
Tania PLAIAN’s words reflect both confidence and clarity.
“I think we are having very good shape in this moment and we are very excited to play the ETTU Cup semi-final,” PLAIAN said. “Elizabet just won her first WTT title and this means that she is really well prepared in this moment. About me, I feel that I am almost 100 percent recovered after hip surgery and it means I can play at a high level. We all are working hard to win this match.”
Cagliari’s path to the semi-finals came through a challenging tie against Fenerbahce Sports Club, one that tested both their quality and mental strength.
“The previous match… was really hard because Ece HARAC and Sibel ALTINKAYA are really strong players,” PLAIAN explained. “The first leg we had ABRAAMIAN and we won 3-0, but it was not easy at all.”
The second leg brought a different kind of pressure, with the Italian side missing their leading player.
“In the second leg, at home, we didn’t have Elizabet and of course we had a little bit of pressure because we wanted so much this victory. I think my match against ALTINKAYA was the key match, and I am happy I managed to win it.”
Facing Hodonin, preparation has taken a slightly different direction, with limited previous encounters between the teams.
“We are preparing the matches because we never played against these players,” PLAIAN noted. “We are trying to find some good tactics, but for us the most important thing is being united and supporting each other. For us, team spirit is the most important thing.”
She also underlined the importance of consistency in execution: “Of course, playing the ball on the table every time is necessary.”
The semi-final brings a new level of uncertainty, something the team is fully aware of.
“For sure it will be very tough because it’s a semi-final, so this means Hodonin is a strong team,” she said. “The difference compared to previous matches is that we don’t have so much information because we never had the chance to play against them, so it will be interesting.”
Although the teams met in the past, PLAIAN points out that little can be taken from that encounter.
“We played against each other in 2021 in Novi Sad, but they didn’t have these players at that moment. I remember I won 3-1 and 3-0, but our team lost 3-2. Now it will be different because we also have different players.”
Despite clear ambitions, Cagliari are determined to keep expectations under control.
“We don’t want to have expectations because this will put pressure on the team,” PLAIAN said. “But of course we want to repeat the performance from 2023, when we won the Cup.”
She believes the team’s identity remains their biggest advantage.
“Our main strength is that we are young players with a lot of fighting spirit and, as I said before, our power is team spirit.”
Preparation for the semi-final has been intense, with the core group working closely together.
“We know that a semi-final is always hard and we have to prepare as well as possible to arrive in good shape,” PLAIAN explained. “We are working every day together, me, MA Hengyu and Miriam CARNOVALE in the hall with coach Curcio, and we will prepare as good as possible.”
Alongside their European campaign, ASD Quattro Mori Cagliari have also been battling in the Italian league, but their play-off hopes have now come to an end.
“We lost 3-0 against Sudtirol Bolzano,” Tania PLAIAN explained. “Two matches finished 3-2, very, very close, and my match against Gaia MONFARDINI was 3-1 but also very close… so we will not play the play-off unfortunately.”
With form, confidence and unity on their side, ASD Quattro Mori Cagliari head into the semi-final driven by a clear philosophy stay together, fight for every point, and let the results follow.
