Mantua, Zuccon: “Respect for Palermo, we must not feel inferior”

News: Mantova’s new signing Federico Zuccon was introduced to his new fans. A quality midfielder, he will be available to coach Modesto for the next match against Palermo. Here are his words at the press conference.

Mantova player Zuccon’s words:

On Palermo and Sunday’s match: “We respect Palermo and obviously know they have a strong squad, but every game starts 0-0, and we have to play with all our might to get points, without feeling inferior to anyone. I’m confident because we’ve worked well, and with the support of the fans, we’ll try to put in a great performance. I hope to see a great crowd at the stadium.”

On the decision to join Mantova: “It was an easy decision, because I remembered the club and the people who wanted me gave me the right feeling. I found a healthy environment, with a desire to do well and prove myself. I really believe this is the right place for me.”

On his relationship with Coach Modesto and his style of play: “I think I have the right characteristics for the coach’s style of play. I only had him for a few months at the Atalanta Under-23s, but he’s been interested in me since his arrival in Mantua. The negotiations went very quickly, partly for this reason. I have a good relationship with him and hope to repay his faith on the pitch. Modesto is very demanding and his training sessions are quite tough, but I like his style of play and it’s based on intensity, which is my forte. I’m very fired up.”

Fiery debut against Palermo

On his identity as a midfielder: “I try to combine quantity and quality, even though my main characteristic is that of a holding midfielder. Aggression and ball recovery are my specialties.”

On the team and Mantua’s current form: “I found a great group, full of young players and some I knew from playing against them. I was a teammate with Trimboli in the Sampdoria youth system. He also described Mantua to me as a great place, one that thrives on football. For my part, I hope to bring enthusiasm and perhaps even a pinch of “mentality,” given that I experienced similar situations in Cosenza and then in Salerno to the one Mantua is going through, so I know what it takes to navigate them to the fullest.”

On their confidence in staying up: “The group is united, they’ve understood the situation and want to address it as best they can. I think we have all the ingredients to turn things around and achieve our goal. Especially because the standings are tight. We just have to give our all and try to get a result in every match.”

On his personal goals and potential deployment against Palermo: “I’d like to help the team as much as possible and put in decent numbers on a personal level. Will I start against Palermo? Those are decisions that the coach will make. For my part, I can only guarantee that I’m physically fit and that at Juve Stabia, despite not having much playing time, I’ve always trained with full commitment.”