Barcelona loanee Samuel Umtiti says Lecce met his expectations while the Giallorossi president praises the 2018 World Cup winner: ‘He is humble and has the desire to prove his worth.’
The France international surprisingly joined the Giallorossi on a dry loan deal from Barcelona, so Lecce don’t have an option to make his move permanent next summer.
The 28-year-old arrived in Lecce yesterday, welcomed by thousands of joyful fans. He was so impressed by the reception that he broke into tears in front of cameras.
“I picked Lecce because they’ve met my expectations,” he told Sportitalia.
“I have positive feelings and recognise myself in the club’s values. I feel well physically and mentally and I am so happy to be here. I want to put my quality and my positive mood at the team’s disposal.”
“It’s a nice story, Umtiti’s humility impressed me. He wants to prove his worth in an important league,” Lecce President Saverio Sticchi Damiani told Sky Sport Italia.
“Initially, I didn’t even know about negotiations, our director Pantaleo Corvino informed me about it after a while. We’ve signed a World champion, Umtiti needed a place like Salento, I’ve perceived a desire for normality and he will be a role model for our young players.”
Lecce gained promotion to Serie A last season but lost the opening two league games this term.
Umtiti spent five years at Barcelona, scoring five goals in 170 appearances.
He won the La Liga title twice at the Nou Camp and lifted the Copa Del Rey three times. He was part of the France squad that won the World Cup in Russia four years ago.
what an honest man 😀