Samuel Umtiti discussed his emotions during his Lecce debut, why he joined the club and his initial thoughts on Serie A.
The 28-year-old French centre back joined the Puglian outfit from the Blaugrana on loan, giving him a chance to play consistent minutes after a difficult few years in Catalonia. Umtiti has consistently struggled with injuries following France’s World Cup win in 2018 and had a slow start to life with Lecce as he built up his match fitness.
Speaking in a press conference, Umtiti first spoke about how his Lecce debut felt in the loss to Roma.
“I felt great emotions, I’m proud of the game I played, after so many months in which I worked hard to catch up with my teammates.”
He gave his thoughts on the style of Serie A.
“Serie A is really very different from the Spanish league, it is much more physical and very tactical. I am adapting to a different game, but this also allows me to discover a new way of playing.
“The tactical and technical level is very high, but we have the qualities to do well in this league and play our part.”
The Frenchman commented on his goals and objectives with Lecce.
“In this moment of my life it is important to play again, to feel valued and important in this team and to reach my goal with Lecce. With the national team I wrote beautiful pages of my career, but right now I’m only thinking about Lecce and doing well with this shirt.”
He reflected on the incredible welcome he was given by Lecce fans.
“The welcome I got was extraordinary. I was happy to share that moment with the fans, it gave me an incredible energy charge and I felt immediately considered.
“I now want to regain the form I had three years ago, my late return is due to the search for the best possible form, because I want to make an important contribution to this team.”
Umtiti explained why he decided to make the move from Barcelona to Lecce.
“After my experience at Barcelona I needed peace and quiet. Lecce is the best solution, because it is also an ideal city in which to live, there are ideal conditions here to start again. During the summer there were other opportunities, but today I feel I can confirm this choice.”
He looked ahead to his future goals.
“I arrived in Lecce with the mentality of facing different challenges every day. In Barcelona I had a lot, just as I had the opportunity to play with great champions.
“Unfortunately, some physical problems forced me to start from scratch. It is not easy to go back, but I have chosen to rewrite my career with Lecce and the first stage is to try to save our lives with the Giallorossi.”
Finally, Umtiti looked back at Lecce’s tough 2-1 loss to Roma.
“Playing in Rome is not easy for anyone, because it is always a match full of great emotions. The referee’s behaviour at the Olimpico was not in our favour, but what matters is to stay focused on our game. We have to do our job and approach every game in the best possible way.”