Exclusive
interview with Francesco Coco
It’s been just over
a month since Francesco Coco joined Futbol Club Barcelona. Coco however
is already aware of how big the club is. An ever present during the last
two matches the Italian spoke in glowing terms about the weather and lifetsyle
in his new city and of his continual rollercoaster in and out of the team
existence at his previous club Milan. The Italian international is hopeful
of making his move here permanent. The interview, exclusive to Canal Barca
and fcbarcelona.com, can be read in full by clicking on the link below.
The interview will be screened at 8pm this evening (Monday) on Barca’s
very own TV station, Canal Barca.
Do you think yesterday’s
match was your best display for Barca?
I am happy because
it’s the third match I have started and the importamt thing for me is to
play as many games as possible and as many minutes as possible and get
used to the way my teammates play. I think that things are going well for
me and the team and hope that on Wednesday we can win against Bayer Leverkusen.
This is very important.
Has it been easier
than you expected to get into the first team?
It’s difficult to
get into the first team at a club like Barcelona but having been a first
team regular at Milan I am used to it. There’s no doubt that all the players
here are top quality and I have always been aware of how difficult it was
going to be.
At the moment
you are playing as a wide midfielder but up to now have also played in
a number of different positions. Is being able to play a number of different
roles the best way to keep your place in the team?
I can play on the
left, the right or further back, but prefer to play out wide on the left
like I did tonight. However, if the coach needs to play me in other positions
he can do so. The truth is I’m naturally right sided, both with my hands
and my feet, but it’s now been playing on the left for 10 years and its
seems to suit me better.
So, what do you
think will happen when Sergi recovers from injury?
I don’t know. All
I’m thinking about at the moment is playing well. He is a very good player
and has shown his worth for many years but we will see what happens. I
don’t think it will be a problem and it will be down to the manager to
decide.
When Zaccheroni
asked about your situation did you think you would be making a hasty return
to calcio?
During my first 20
days here and the five matches that took place I didn’t play very much.
This is why Zaccheroni called me about joining him at Lazio but i was already
quite sure that i would stay here. For this reason I never really considered
joining the ranks of another big club even though the man in charge is
a coach that helped me a great deal. My future is always open but if I
get on well here, I have no intention of leaving.
Last year you
played at the Nou Camp for Milan, you scored a great goal and set up another.
Was this the reason behind your decision to come to Barca?
For many players
it’s a dream to play for Barcelona, just as it is a dream to play for Milan,
Juve or Real Madrid, some of the biggest clubs in the world. That day I
played a good match, scored a goal and set one up. To be able to play here
now is incredible.
Are there many
differences between Italian and Spanish football?
The main difference
is that calcio is much more physical and you run more, whilst here the
game is much more technical and you play with the ball more. There aren’t
too many differences and football over here is just as tough. With regards
training it’s a bit lighter over here because as i said before there is
less reliance on the physical side.
Taking into account
all of these factors how do you think Pep Guardiola will get on at Brescia?
To begin with he
will encounter the usual difficulties any technically gifted player faces
as the football is much quicker and quite different. But great players
like him, within time, always play well especially if you have the likes
of Roberto Baggio playing alongside you. They can both do great things.
Nonetheless is
it not true that your football idol is Paolo Maldini...
Of course. It’s normal
as he plays in my position and I learnt my trade at Milan with both him
and Franco Baresi. Both were idols of mine and I learnt a great deal from
them both.
One final question.
What is it you most like about Barcelona that is different to Milan?
The climate is great,
the beach is very close. I think that living in Barcelona is better than
Milan because Milan was very industrial and life there is very fast, whilst
here it’s much more tranquil. People believe that it is quite similar in
many ways but the surprising thing for me here was seeing the streets full
of people at all hours. It’s a very vibrant city.