Paulo Sousa believes Federico Chiesa has what it takes to follow in his father’s footsteps and “become a bandiera” for Fiorentina.
Federico is the son of former Fiorentina and Italy star Enrico Chiesa [pictured, left], who scored 34 Serie A goals in three seasons for La Viola between 1999 and 2002, although a serious knee injury hampered his final campaign, which ended in the side’s demotion to the fourth tier.
“Everyone has the opportunity to play,” the Coach said ahead of Thursday’s Europa League game against Qarabag.
Paulo Sousa believes Federico Chiesa has what it takes to follow in his father’s footsteps and “become a bandiera” for Fiorentina.
Federico is the son of former Fiorentina and Italy star Enrico Chiesa [pictured, left], who scored 34 Serie A goals in three seasons for La Viola between 1999 and 2002, although a serious knee injury hampered his final campaign, which ended in the side’s demotion to the fourth tier.
“Everyone has the opportunity to play,” the Coach said ahead of Thursday’s Europa League game against Qarabag.
“[Federico’s] a player that I respect a lot. He primarily plays out wide but also knows how to dominate the inside spaces, has the ability to get into the box and is good at finding space.
“He’s player who crosses well and has competitive streak, and for this he’ll be increasingly integrated.
“I really believe he can become a bandiera [flag] because he has quality and wants to learn. He can succeed at high levels.
“Cristoforo? He’s already integrated in games and has fit in well because we have a fantastic group.
“He had shortcomings in preseason and must still grow in his understanding of our game, but he’s very attentive and is improving. Soon we’ll see him as a starter.
“He was used to playing in a different way, as one of two in midfield, and he’s good at both phases [attacking and defending].
“The path of last year? The poor start, with the home defeat to Basel, weighed on us.
“Not being intense enough mentally in certain games also weighed on us, but now we’re on the right track and if we play like we can, our opponents must be much better than us to win.
“Training behind closed doors? I asked the club to open [training to the public] once a week when there were no cup competitions.”