Nicolò Zaniolo is back with Italy following his two major knee injuries. The starlet spoke to Rai from Coverciano. He began by addressing his return to the stat-sheet in the Trabzonspor match: “It was a perfect evening. The road back was tough, even more than the first one. The diagnosis was a major blow, and I cried for a week straight. I had just completed a seven-month rehab, and I had to start over.”
“Through hard work, I found some energies I did not know I possessed. It made me grow up as a player and as a man. Now that I returned, I can say that every cloud has a silver lining. I started paying more attention to details, something I was not doing before. I am fully aware of every element now, like practicing correctly and having a strict diet.”
Zaniolo reunited with Moise Kean: “I missed him; we are great friends. I found him more mature and fully focused on his goal. Like me, he dreams of being part of this national team. We are aware of the strength of this group and its cohesion, and I am honored to be part of it. I will need to stay humble to write other historical pages alongside my teammates. I am extremely eager, but I have to maintain the right poise.”
He concluded by showering José Mourinho with praise: “He is a terrific coach on and off the pitch, and very down-to-earth and gregarious. He is tough and direct, but also serene and very capable.”