Andrea Ranocchia reveals he 'had to fight' to join Sampdoria as Inter 'wanted me to stay'.
The 28-year-old experienced a season in decline, as he lost his place as a starter, was stripped of the captain's armband, and eventually was loaned to Sampdoria in January.
“I made a decision to come to Sampdoria because I still have a lot to give, to prove, and to take back,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “I don't care about the fact that I'm here on loan.
Andrea Ranocchia reveals he 'had to fight' to join Sampdoria as Inter 'wanted me to stay'.
The 28-year-old experienced a season in decline, as he lost his place as a starter, was stripped of the captain's armband, and eventually was loaned to Sampdoria in January.
“I made a decision to come to Sampdoria because I still have a lot to give, to prove, and to take back,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “I don't care about the fact that I'm here on loan.
“I'm 100 per cent invested in this great challenge. I'm not here to kill time, that's not the type of person I am. I thought about the transfer for three weeks, I made a list of the reasons for and against.
“I had to fight to leave, they were asking me to stay. But it was the right moment for a change.
“[Coach Roberto] Mancini told me I was a positive person for the environment and I replied that I wouldn't have stayed even if he'd given me the opportunity to play the next 20 games.
“It was no longer the time to stay, I needed other incentives and new challenges.”
Ranocchia was then asked whether he was aiming for a spot with the Azzurri for Euro 2016.
“I do think about the Azzurri, a player has to have targets. But it's not the primary objective. Right now I need to find certain sensations that I had lost. I did that, and that's my greatest motivation.”