Mario Santana says ‘I’ll always be grateful’ to Palermo’s new owners after making an emotional return to the club.
Santana joins Coach Rosario Pergolizzi in moving back to Palermo, where he played over 100 times between 2002 and 2006, helping the Rosanero establish themselves in Serie A and qualify for the Europa League.
Mario Santana says ‘I’ll always be grateful’ to Palermo’s new owners after making an emotional return to the club.
Santana joins Coach Rosario Pergolizzi in moving back to Palermo, where he played over 100 times between 2002 and 2006, helping the Rosanero establish themselves in Serie A and qualify for the Europa League.
“That Palermo is the past, this one is more important and it’ll be the most important year of my career, I hope it is also for my teammates,” said the former Fiorentina and Argentina winger at his official unveiling.
“I played for Frosinone, went back to Genoa and did not have a club for six months. It was during that time I decided to retire.
“I’d lost my desire, but then Pro Patria called me. I was harassed for two months and, after a few attempts, I joined them out of the belief they had in me.
“Today I’m very happy and excited to be at Palermo because I’m seeing people I already knew.
“My desire to return to Palermo came about because, having so much passion for this profession, I know I can still give them something.
“I contacted [director Rinaldo] Sagramola to ask him if I could form part of this beginning. They believed in me and I’ll always be grateful.
“There are so many players without clubs so we must all feel lucky to have this opportunity. I’ll try to repay them as much as possible.”
The 37-year-old is no stranger to the Italian lower Leagues after spending the last three seasons in Serie C and D with Pro Patria.
“I’m an adopted native of Palermo. After that, for someone to become captain, they must show it on the field.
“There’s no need for me to have the armband, I know that whenever I go out on the pitch, I give everything for the shirt and the people who came to see our first training session.
“The important thing is to know what we’re going to come up against. If I’m here today it’s because I can play.
“If I couldn’t run two metres, I’d never have made this choice. Ultimately, I live in Palermo and I know I’m going to come across so many things, but I know I can still give so much physically.”
The Sicilian side are restarting in Serie D – the Italian non-League – after they were demoted from the second tier for financial irregularities and were refounded by local businessmen.