Empoli defender Fabiano Parisi sat down with Serie A ahead of Matchday 17 to speak about his skillset, the club’s philosophy, and the difficulty of playing against the best clubs in the league.
Parisi’s Strengths & Qualities
Like an oboe, with its uniquely varied tone, left-back Parisi plays an integral role in Empoli’s orchestra. The 22-year-old is Serie A’s third-best dribbler and he tops his side in two more key stats: ball recovery, and duels won.
“My main quality has always been beating a man in a one-on-one and creating a numerical advantage, so I think that these stats are very pleasing… It’s my second season now after trying to adapt in my first one, while I’m now trying to establish myself. Having started out in Serie D, I’ve improved so much because starting at the bottom helps you both physically and mentally…”
Empoli’s Strategy & Goals
Paolo Zanetti’s men are Serie A’s second-youngest team this season. Inexperienced, maybe, but Parisi believes their rhythm and tempo will once again spare them from the relegation blues.
“Empoli’s philosophy has always been to have teams that keep possession and dominate the game, even in a very tough division. We started out this year full of desire to show what we’re about and we can achieve what we want if we want to and we’ll try to reach safety as soon as possible…”
Playing Against Top Opposition
So far, Empoli have been overpowered by all the big clubs – but Parisi believes his side can change this in the near future.
“To get points against the top teams, you always need to give 100% and be focused on all the fine details. These teams have so much quality and if you lose focus for even a moment, you get punished. We’ll try to improve in that area…”