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Author: Steven Moore

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Serie A Spezia

Kevin Agudelo Interview: Serie A Career, Thiago Motta, Colombia Dream & More

Kevin Agudelo Interview: Serie A Career, Thiago Motta, Colombia Dream & More
Kevin Agudelo - Spezia - Serie A - TLN

Spezia midfielder Kevin Agudelo was interviewed by Serie A to speak about Managers Thiago Motta and Leonardo Semplici, his relationship with fellow Colombian Luis Muriel, and his dream of playing for his nation.

Former Manager Thiago Motta

Agudelo’s Serie A adventure started at Genoa, under Thiago Motta’s watchful eye. Two years later, he was reunited with the coach at Spezia – when Motta again put his faith in the Colombian midfielder.

“He was really important because when I came to Genoa I was going through a tough time. I’d joined the club only about three months earlier and I hadn’t seen a lot of game time. When Thiago came in he saw something in me right from the get-go and realised that I could be an asset. I was then lucky enough to coincide with him here in Spezia and we had a great season. That season was amazing, I was able to score several important goals against some big teams. It was a big season for me.”

Current Manager Leonardo Semplici

Leonardo Semplici has been in the Eagles’ dugout since February and he’s been working on improving his team’s confidence as they fight to avoid relegation.

“In many ways, they’re totally different people. However, I think that ever since the coach came in he’s tried to instil us with the mentality that we’re much better than we think we are. He has total belief in the squad, me included. He’s always saying to me that I’m a much better player than I’ve shown so far.”

Luis Muriel & Colombia National Team

Agudelo is one of many Colombian players who’ve brought their charismatic style to Serie A.

“I’ve got five of Muriel’s shirts at home. I love that I’ve got them. I collect them because they’re like a treasure to me and for me and many Colombians, these players defined an era in the game. It’s true that sometimes I’ll send Muriel a message and he’ll always get back to me. I’d love to play with them for the national team but they’ll continue being the leading lights before I’m given my chance.”

Watch the Full Interview With Kevin Agudelo

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Juventus Serie A

Mattia De Sciglio Discusses Career, Allegri & Kvaratskhelia

Mattia De Sciglio Discusses Career, Allegri & Kvaratskhelia
Mattia De Sciglio - Juventus - Serie A - TLN

Juventus defender Mattia De Sciglio sat down with Serie A ahead of Matchday 31 to speak about his career, Manager Massimiliano Allegri, and Napoli starlet Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Career to Date

Mattia De Sciglio may have the fresh-faced looks of a youngster – but Juventus’ fullback is a Serie A veteran. Last October he turned 30, and, 12 years after his professional debut, it’s time to take stock.

“Having reached the age of 30 and looking back at what I’ve done so far, I hope to be just over halfway. I really hope so! I feel I’ve only just reached my footballing peak and have plenty of years ahead of me. Up to now, I’ve had lots of different experiences, both positive and negative, which have helped me grow a lot. My relationship with my body is better than in the early years. After 12 years of matches your body changes so you have to pay more attention to every detail, like rest and healthy nutrition. They’re things that you pay less attention to as a youngster but at my age, you place more importance on them.”

Massimiliano Allegri

Having crossed paths three times already with Massimiliano Allegri, De Sciglio has witnessed the ways in which the coach too has changed. Allegri’s second tenure at Juventus sounds strikingly similar to that period at Milan.

“Thinking back to the Allegri I had at Milan… In the first year after my debut when all the big names left he ended up with a very young Milan side without much experience. He needed to work on the team’s organization and forge an identity for us. This season was similar in some ways to when I first had him at Milan, although different because a few years have passed. He’s changed in some ways but once again he had to reorganize the team and play with the set-up.”

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

Napoli’s sprint for the title seems unstoppable, guided by one of the players of the season – Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

“I think you stop a player like Kvaratskhelia by giving him as little space as possible. He comes into his element when he has space to run into, to pull his dummies and get shots away. You have to be good at closing him down and doubling up on him to limit his space.”

Watch the Full Interview With Mattia De Sciglio

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Serie A Torino

Perr Schuurs Discusses Joining Torino & Manager Juric

Perr Schuurs Discusses Joining Torino & Manager Juric
Perr Schuurs - Torino - Serie A - TLN

Torino defender Perr Schuurs sat down with Serie A ahead of Matchday 31 to speak about joining the Granata, Manager Ivan Juric, and his leadership qualities.

Joining Torino

Dutch defender Schuurs joined Torino from Ajax last summer. He wanted to develop his skills and feels he’s in the right place.

“I chose Torino because the feeling was really good, it felt like I was welcomed in my first meeting. Torino is a nice club, also the fans, and the playing system. But first of all the coach, he can make a difference and help me improve a lot, for me, it was the reason. The coach, you know in Italy defenders become better players and for me, one of the most important things to improve is my defence skills. The first weeks and months I had to adapt to the system because it was different. He helped me a lot and I feel like I’m getting better. For me, if a coach takes care of the players, it’s important for the team. My relationship with the coach is really good and when I need something I can tell him and I know he’ll listen.”

Leadership Qualities

Though just 23 and in his first season in Serie A, the centre-back has real presence: he aims to lead by example.

“When I was young, I wasn’t a real leader, you know, I was always quiet doing my job and working hard. When I became a captain, I was young, and I improved a lot in this with my confidence with other players, now I feel like a leader but a little different from somebody who is angry with the team, who is always speaking. I’m more like a leader who fights and works hard every day, who does something extra, like for example the gym. For me, it’s important to work hard and show what you want.”

Watch the Full Interview With Perr Schuurs

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Serie A Udinese

Kingsley Ehizibue Discusses Joining Udinese & Playing in Serie A

Kingsley Ehizibue Discusses Joining Udinese & Playing in Serie A
Kingsley Ehizibue - Udinese - Serie A - TLN

Udinese defender Kinglsey Ehizibue sat down with Serie A ahead of Matchday 30 to speak about joining Udinese, playing in Serie A, Dutch footballers who have played in Italy, and the final part of the campaign.

Joining Udinese & Playing in Serie A

Italy is the birthplace of many of the game’s finest defenders. Legends were forged on Serie A fields and their tales inspired the generations to come. That’s why center-backs and full-backs from all over the world come to Serie A. Take Ehizibue, who’s been manning Udinese’s right flank this season.

“Of course, when I was in Germany or in Holland, I was following Serie A always. I really loved the competition and I’m thankful to play here, Udinese gave me the chance to play here in Serie A so I’m thankful for that. Serie A has a lot of great fullbacks, Dumfries is also a friend of mine and Udogie, a teammate of mine, I just see his qualities, he’s a really good player. I know – the first week I was here I thought “This guy is sprinting a lot, he’s running back and forward” I did the same 2 or 3 times and I was breathing heavily, he was still going, it’s a good thing, to be honest.”

Dutch Footballers in Italy

Serie A has always attracted extraordinary Dutch talents, those who inspired today’s Orange contingent.

“Seedorf, I enjoyed this guy. He’s so strong, so good, physical but also technical, such a good player and also Stam, Jaap Stam. He was also my coach in Holland, he inspired me a lot, he taught me defending, I always looked up to him because He really has a strong, good aura, so if you look at him you almost get afraid of him and you still had to impress him.”

The Final Stretch of the Campaign

The Dutch-Nigerian full-back took some time to adjust to Serie A, but now he’s playing a key role as Udinese seek to rediscover their early season sparkle.

“Yeah, we started great, then we had a little dip, a little difficult moment, but the thing is that we always believed in each other and we kept going on. And after some “ritiros” that we had, we came back on the winning side to come up after such a dip, it only makes you stronger.”

Watch the Full Interview With Kingsley Ehizibue

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Sassuolo Serie A

Maxime Lopez Discusses Serie A Excellence & Sassuolo Manager Dionisi

Maxime Lopez Discusses Serie A Excellence & Sassuolo Manager Dionisi
Maxime Lopez - Sassuolo - Serie A - TLN

Sassuolo midfielder Maxime Lopez sat down with Serie A ahead of Matchday 30 to speak about the role of a midfielder, the Italian top flight’s excellence, and the effect that Manager Alessio Dionisi has had on his performances.

The Midfielder’s Importance

In football, as in the rest of life, looks can be deceiving. We often celebrate physical and technical abilities, but intelligence is just as pivotal. Team success can rest on the minds of the midfielders.

“I feel that midfielders get time to play in Italy. You can see that with Lobotka, Bennacer and other similar players who play all the time. It’s true that as midfielders, we have a role that is a little more understated, because compared to more attacking players, we’ll perhaps get fewer goals and assists. When it comes to my role, I’m now a defensive midfielder, who has to orchestrate things but also be there defending and making sure the team are well-organised when we lose or have possession. There’s less limelight, but it’s a role that’s just as important as any other.”

Serie A On the Rise

Reputations can be as deceptive as looks. When Maxime Lopez came to Sassuolo from his home town Marseille in 2020 he had a distinct impression of Italian football.

“Before coming to Italy, I didn’t really have the right view of Italian football. When I arrived, I was surprised about the tactical element. It’s something we all know. Italy has long been associated with tactical play. It goes hand in hand with Italian football. There were a few too many people talking about Italian football only in terms of Catenaccio. If we look at this season, we can see the league is open. There are very few teams who really play Catenaccio, who stop and don’t know how to play. We saw that against Spezia a couple of weeks ago. They’re a long way off us in the league, but they know how to play it out from the back. The league has completely changed and it’s top-level now.”

Heightened Performances

The midfielder was signed by former coach Roberto De Zerbi but under Alessio Dionisi the 25-year-old seems to be blossoming anew – what makes him special is his ability to launch attacks: he’s 5th in Serie A for pass completion into the final third.

“What surprised me the most about Roberto De Zerbi is the sort of set-up that we work on in training to prepare for the game on Sunday. It then comes naturally to us during matches. With the arrival of Dionisi, who put his faith in me as soon as he took over, he picked me in almost every game for the whole season, so I played almost every minute.”

Watch the Full Interview With Maxime Lopez

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Hellas Verona Serie A

Josh Doig Discusses Joining Verona & Fight to Remain in Serie A

Josh Doig Discusses Joining Verona & Fight to Remain in Serie A
Josh Doig - Hellas Verona - Serie A - TLN

Hellas Verona defender Josh Doig sat down with Serie A ahead of Matchday 30 to speak about Scottish players making the move to Italy, flourishing in the Italian top flight, and the club’s fight for salvation.

From Scotland to Italy

Hellas Verona’s left-back Josh Doig is the latest in a new generation of Scots to have taken a leap of faith from the land of the brave to the Italian top flight.

“I think in Scotland it’s a done thing to just go down south to England and trying to work your way up from there but I felt for myself that football gives you a platform to go anywhere you want in the world and I feel Italy is one of the most beautiful countries there is and Verona tops that as one of the most beautiful city in Italy, so for myself coming here it was… the football is amazing and the lifestyle is amazing so it was a no brainer.”

Flourishing Left Wing-Back

The 20-year-old is flourishing in his debut Serie A campaign. The wing-back role seems to suit him to a T – Doig has set up four goals and scored two of his own.

“I really enjoyed it, it gives you that freedom to kind of go up and down all game which I love to do, it’s one of my main things my fitness, I’m good at running, so it’s been good to utilize that, if I can attack I’ll always do it, I absolute love doing it and in Italian football they have such an aggressive way to play so you need to be able to do that and also defensively you need always to be aware but I think I’ve learned more and more as the games went by.”

Serie A Salvation

After the last-minute victory over Sassuolo, Verona are just 4 points from safety. With 9 games remaining, that’s a realistic target. The Scots are a determined people – and this is a determined team.

“I think, you know, where we are it’s obviously not easy, it’s been a roller-coaster season but I think as Verona the whole of us and the fans and the team we are never going to give up, we’ll fight until the very end and I think as a team we’ve got to believe, we have got a real belief within the squad, the team is very tight, we are very close together. I think obviously we know where we are and we are not shy away from that but we know what the fans deserve and that’s fight until the very end and that’s what we’re going to do, we know that.”

Watch the Full Interview With Josh Doig

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Cremonese Serie A

Cyriel Dessers Discusses Cremonese Transfer & Relegation Battle

Cyriel Dessers Discusses Cremonese Transfer & Relegation Battle
Cyriel Dessers - Cremonese - Serie A - TLN

Cremonese attacker Cyriel Dessers sat down with Serie A ahead of Matchday 28 to speak about the club’s fighting spirit, his career and accomplishments, his season highlights, and his reasons for coming to Italy.

Fighting Spirit

Bottom of the table with just one win to their name. Yet despite that, Cremonese make their opponents work hard for the points.

“I think that’s the character of the team, we always keep going, and we always have hope. Even in the games we are losing or trailing, like against Monza at home for example, or Sassuolo away, even when we are two-nil or three-nil down, we keep fighting, we keep trying to score a goal and come back in the game. But if I look at the big picture, at the whole season, I think we didn’t play that bad a season, especially in the beginning, we played very good games and we were unlucky. If in this moment we had a little bit more luck, it could have changed our whole season.”

Football Career

This Cremonese team includes young promise and wise old heads. Last summer, ahead of their return to Serie A, the club signed Nigeria international Dessers. He has more than 100 career goals and was last season’s UEFA Europa Conference League top scorer.

“Football was for me plan B, study was for me plan A, and if I see now, even when I became a professional player, quite late, at 19 years old, my career went with ups and downs. But this is a part of me, and I will never give up, even if you see now, I realised so many of my dreams. I played a final in a European competition, I was two times top scorer already, I played in the national team, I scored for my national team… For me… I scored in Serie A. If there’s a nice story to this, none of this came for free, or came easy, but this only makes it worth more for me, when you have to work as hard as I did, when you have success it only feels better. And you enjoy even more.”

Objectives, Highlights & Moving to Italy

However tough the league, the Grigiorossi are flying in the Coppa Italia Frecciarossa – reaching the semi-final stage. As for Dessers, with six goals so far, he’s aiming for double figures.

“This is the first time in my life I fight for relegation, it’s truly a different experience, and for me individually it’s not easy. As a striker in a team that fights against relegation, you get fewer balls, you get more difficult balls, you get fewer chances to score, but still, you try to do your work for the team, you try your best, and that’s what I’m trying. Of course, the highlights for me are the moments I scored some goals, but if I look for me a very nice moment was the moment we win in the quarter-final of the Coppa Italia against Roma in the full Olimpico. These are the moments why I came to Italy, I wanted a new culture, a new league, I wanted to see how I could keep up against the best defenders in Europe, play against big teams in big stadiums, against world-class players. For me, this is one of the main reasons I came to Serie A, and I’m still very happy with my choice.”

Watch the Full Interview With Cyriel Dessers

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Monza Serie A

Carlos Augusto Discusses Monza Performances & Serie A Campaign

Carlos Augusto Discusses Monza Performances & Serie A Campaign
Carlos Augusto - Monza - Serie A - TLN

Monza defender Carlos Augusto sat down with Serie A ahead of Matchday 28 to speak about the start of his career, fellow Brazilian Roberto Carlos, Manager Raffaele Palladino, and his goals so far this season.

A Terrific Start to Life in Italy

This Brazilian left-back, who had no intention of becoming a player, has scored 5 goals and set up 4 in his first 8 months in Serie A.

“All children in Brazil dream of becoming footballers, but I didn’t. I didn’t have that dream. I was the worst player at school among my classmates. They used to call me “wooden leg” because I was so bad. When it was my seventh birthday, I asked my father to take me to a football academy to learn a bit. Things then came naturally. I didn’t force anything. When I was 15 in the Corinthians youth set-up, I could see that I was capable and my attitude changed.”

Record-Breaker

With these numbers, he has bettered the record of another Brazilian defender during his first year in Italy: Roberto Carlos.

“He was brilliant. He made history here in Italy and did so well for Brazil. I watch videos of him whenever I get the chance to do similarly myself because he was so impressive so I hope to achieve close to what he did. I can say that I like that comparison because I like pressure as that’s how I can show that I can get there. I’m still young and I want to do well too.”

Raffaele Palladino & Goals

Carlos Augusto joined Monza in 2020 when the club was in Serie B, and the left-back was influential in the promotion campaign, but initially struggled in Serie A. Then, when Raffaele Palladino was appointed as coach, the 24-year-old began to blossom.

“He usually asks me to be more expansive, to give the team more width, but given my attributes, I also link up with Caprari, who plays near me for one-twos all the time, so I think that’s been good for me. I then also need to get back to defend. I’m left-footed and so the two goals I’ve scored with my right foot are more special. There’s the one against Verona when Patrick Ciurria laid it off to me. I hit it first time and scored a great goal. I liked that one. Then against Fiorentina in Florence… I hit it on my right foot on the volley and my teammates made jokes about it because I seem to shoot better on my right than on my left. The best game was against Juve at a great stadium against a top side. I think that was my best match this season.”

Watch the Full Interview With Carlos Augusto 

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Exclusives Serie A Toronto FC

Federico Bernardeschi Discusses Napoli Dominance, MLS vs Serie A & More

Federico Bernardeschi Discusses Napoli Dominance, MLS vs Serie A & More

Toronto FC attacker Federico Bernardeschi was exclusively interviewed by TLN TV to discuss the new MLS season, Napoli’s dominance in Serie A, Juventus’ 15-point deduction, the differences between playing in North America and Italy, and much more.

New Season, Same Objectives

After a first season of ups and downs in North America, Bernardeschi and TFC are back – this time, right from the start. The Italian has been instrumental to their attack – especially in the absence of the injured Lorenzo Insigne – scoring two goals and providing one assist as of Matchday 4.

“I COMPLETED THE PRE-SEASON WITH MY TEAMMATES AND THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR BOTH THE GROUP AND FOR THE CONNECTION BETWEEN US. OUR OBJECTIVE IS TO DEFINITELY WIN AT LEAST ONE TROPHY THIS YEAR AND THEN THERE ARE PERSONAL GOALS WHICH COME AFTER THE OBJECTIVES OF THE TEAM.”

Napoli Dominance

The Partenopei have taken Serie A by storm this year, currently sitting in first place (as of Matchday 27) with a resounding 19-point lead over second-place Lazio. However, Bernardeschi is not surprised and gives them full credit for their accomplishments so far.

“NAPOLI IS DOING EXTRAORDINARY THINGS AND YOU HAVE TO GIVE THEM CREDIT FOR THIS. THEY ARE A GREAT TEAM WITH TOP PLAYERS AND THEY HAVE DONE VERY WELL IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. I HAVE TO SAY THEY DESERVE ALL THE SUCCESS THEY ARE HAVING – I THINK NAPOLI’S #77, KVARATSKHELIA, IS A PLAYER IN A LEAGUE OF HIS OWN.”

Juventus 2022-23 Season

Despite holding a better record than everyone else in the Italian top flight apart from Napoli, Juventus finds themselves in seventh place due to a 15-point penalty that was inflicted in January 2023 due to false accounting.

“IT’S BEEN A STRANGE SEASON FOR JUVE BECAUSE THEY HAVE HAD TO ENDURE SO MANY OBSTACLES SO THIS WAS A BIG BLOW FOR THEM. I DON’T THINK THEY DESERVED IT ESPECIALLY THE PLAYERS AND THE MEN WHO ARE INSIDE THE LOCKER ROOM AND OBVIOUSLY THE CLUB AND THE FANS. YOU DON’T LIKE TO SEE THESE THINGS, BUT THEY HAVE PICKED IT UP VERY VERY WELL. I THINK JUVE IS JUVE AND THEY HAVE A DNA AND A PARTICULAR CHARACTER – IT IS NOT EASY TO BRING THEM DOWN. AS YOU SEE, THEY ARE RESPONDING WELL AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO FROM HERE UNTIL THE END. WHAT IS CERTAIN IS THAT JUVE WILL GIVE EVERYONE A RUN FOR THEIR MONEY.”

MLS vs Serie A

A big believer in the potential of the league, the attacker was quick to mention that while MLS has, and continues to take, massive strides forward, there are still key aspects of the game that need to change to increase the competitiveness and bring it to level with the top European leagues, such as Serie A.

“I THINK MLS STILL NEEDS TO GROW MUCH MORE FROM THE TACTICAL POINT OF VIEW AND FROM THE POINT OF VIEW SOMEWHAT OF THE ORGANIZATION ON THE FIELD – ON THIS THERE IS NO DOUBT. PHYSICALLY AND ATHLETICALLY, IT’S A TRULY OUTSTANDING LEAGUE; CERTAINLY, SERIE A IS MUCH MORE READY IN SO MANY WAYS, BUT IT IS ALSO TRUE THAT SOCCER IN EUROPE BEGAN MUCH EARLIER THAN HERE. HOWEVER, I THINK MLS HAS MADE RESOUNDING PROGRESS IN RECENT YEARS AND IT WILL CONTINUE TO HAPPEN OVER THE YEARS TO COME.”

Full Interview With Federico Bernardeschi

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Lazio Serie A

Mattia Zaccagni Discusses Lazio Campaign & Derby Against Roma

Mattia Zaccagni Discusses Lazio Campaign & Derby Against Roma

Lazio attacker Mattia Zaccagni sat down with Serie A ahead of Matchday 27 to speak about his performances and skillset, the Biancocelesti’s campaign so far, and the upcoming Derby della Capitale.

A Rising Star in Rome & Serie A

Close control… acceleration… And a killer instinct. Mattia Zaccagni – the archer –  is flourishing in his second season at Lazio. So far this campaign he’s fired 8 goals and set up 4. As far as the fans are concerned, this 27-year-old hits the target.

“It’s really nice that the fans think of me as a symbol of the team. It’s a great honour for me. I try to give everything on the pitch in every match. Slowly but surely, I’m reaping the rewards. Up to now, it’s been my best season, but I think I can still do so many things. I can do much better. I’ve had my breakthrough but I must keep going. The coach says he wants me to get to double figures. It’s something I also expect from myself. I’m trying to do that in any way I can.”

Skillset & Position 

Further evidence of Zaccagni’s quality can be found in other numbers if you know where to look. No one has been fouled more often in Serie A this season, 71 times. A strong clue as to which player opponents fear the most. Cutting in from the left wing, Zaccagni has sharpened Lazio’s attack and proven to be a real star of Sarri-ball.

“I think it’s down to my way of playing. I’m small and fast so sometimes opponents resort to fouling me. It’s sometimes frustrating to get fouled because I’m heading for goal or the defensive line, but it’s part of the game. When I arrived here, the coach told me that I needed to attack deep, to cut inside from the left when we’re attacking from the right. I’ve taken that on board and put it into practice on the pitch. At Verona, I played more centrally as an attacking midfielder, but this is a role that suits me and that I really like doing.”

An Unexpected But Positive Campaign So Far

In a season of twists and turns, the Biancocelesti have toppled Napoli, Inter and Milan but have dropped too many points along the way.

“We’ve done really well against the big teams. We’ve perhaps been missing something against the smaller teams. However, against the big teams, we find the right motivation. The big games belong more to us. We must improve in that respect. We need to be more consistent in smaller games in terms of who we face. We need to have the same motivation and the same character on the pitch.”

Derby della Capitale

Sunday is derby day in Rome. Zaccagni, who’s only played once in this capital clash, can already feel the fire and the fury.

“Last year, I missed them both. The last derby was so passionate, perhaps the most passionate of my career. You could feel the tension in the air from weeks before, the derby atmosphere. It’s a match where the lads who have been here a while convey the excitement and motivation needed to face it. I think that there needs to be tension before a game. You need to turn it into positive energy to do as well as possible on the pitch.”

Watch the Full Interview With Mattia Zaccagni