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CREMONA, ITALY – MAY 10: Jamie Vardy of US Cremonese celebrates after scoring the 1-0 goal during the Serie A match between US Cremonese and Pisa SC at Stadio Giovanni Zini on May 10, 2026 in Cremona, Italy. (Photo by Marco M. Mantovani/Getty Images)
Cremonese coach Marco Giampaolo calls Jamie Vardy ‘the prototype of the ideal striker, he reminds me of Fabio Quagliarella’ after the England international kept safety hopes alive.
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The Grigiorossi knew that Lecce had lost 1-0 to Juventus last night, so this was a huge opportunity to close up the gap and stave off relegation going into the final two rounds.
They were aided by already-relegated Pisa going down to nine men, as Rosen Bozhinov and then Loyola got themselves sent off, but Vardy, Federico Bonazzoli and David Okereke sealed the 3-0 result.
Vardy revitalised Giampaolo’s Cremonese
“We needed to win, there was no other alternative,” Giampaolo told DAZN Italia.
“It was also crucial to show the right attitude, all it takes sometimes at the start is to see the posture of your players to know if they’re ready to win or not.
“I wanted the team to keep this small flame of hope alive, and that is what we have done.”
Vardy had not started a match in almost two months and had not found the net since January, but he made an immediate mark this afternoon by opening the scoring.
“Vardy isn’t a player. He is The Player,” said Giampaolo.
“He does something different to the normal players. I have been fortunate to work with a few of them with these characteristics, those who shoulder the responsibility, are always switched on.
“Of those I had in the past, I think the one he most reminds me of is Fabio Quagliarella. Vardy might be 38 years old, but the way he approaches the game, the way he hits the ball, it’s exceptional.
“He is like the prototype of the ideal striker. I only really had him for the first game since I took over, then he got injured, so his presence and therefore his absence are very important.”
Now Cremonese have closed the gap from Lecce to just one point, while Cagliari are not mathematically safe either, but they remain in the bottom three.
“We’ve got to hang in there and fight it out to the last minute. I didn’t say much to the players in the dressing room, because sometimes you don’t need many words. We’ve got to win, that’s all there is to it,” concluded the coach.
