Inter’s newest signing Geoffrey Kondogbia has caused a lot of hype. The Frenchman greeted fans in Milan yesterday, and today, ‘Kondo’ spoke to Inter Chanel about his plans with the Nerazzurri:
You have played in Spain and France, what are the differences between the leagues?
“In Spain the players take more risks, and the game is a bit more technical. Here, it is easier to take on defenders and there is a lot of action. It is true that there are some very technical players in Ligue 1, but risk-taking is limited. It is better to not concede any goals than to score as many as possible. ”
In Italy, the league is more tactical.
“Yes, I am aware of that. That is another reason why I came. This is a great opportunity for me to grow. I think that the league will make me a better player. This is an important move for me.”
In England, a player like yourself would be described as a box-to-box midfielder. What are your greatest strengths?
“At the moment I think that transitioning defense to attack is my best quality. On the other hand, everyone, including myself has weakness. Now my greatest attributes are my power and ability to transition defense to attack.”
Are you a complete player?
“Not yet, I still have work to do.”
Inter have been following you ever since you were playing in Spain. Is that one of the reasons why you chose to come here?
“Yes, I knew of Inter’s interest when I was playing in Spain. This proves that they have confidence in me. This was the reason I chose Inter. I felt like they were strongly interested in me, and welcomed me with open arms.”
Do the fans want to know everything about you?
“They are very open and sociable. I am open to them as well. I am a young player who just became a father about two weeks ago. I hope that I can get closer to the fans in the coming days.”
What is your favorite music?
“I listen to everything. I am very open when it comes to music. I enjoy rap, jazz, and rock. I like a bit of everything.”
Do you dance?
“Sometimes. Do I dance when I score? Yes, but not only for that. There are times that I enjoy dancing.”
Who was your idol when you were young?
“Like all other kids, I followed the English league, but I also knew about the quality of the Italian teams because Serie A was the best league when I was young. Now the league is trying to regain its place. I think that it is a good time to come to play here in Italy. ”
You resemble Vieira a little bit.
“Patrick Vieira was a great French player, and he is a legend in France. I will try to resemble him, but it will not be easy. When I play I will give my all and even try to do better than he did.”
Why have you chosen number 7?
“My son was born on June 7th, which is a significant day for me. My mother was also born on November 7th. It is a small characteristic that they share.”
Do you have a message for the fans?
“I want to thank all of the Inter fans for the welcome I received. I hope that we can achieve great things together and I can stay here for as long as possible.”
Source: FcInternews.it
be careful with that no 7, with 30+ price tag, you must tame the curse!
Great to see a player that I actually wanted to move Inter. Ausilio is the man!!
Welcome Kondogbia!
Waiting you dance while lifting a trophy for Inter!
He took number 7?!? Hope he can play great with that number.
Forza Kondo!
Welcome Geoffrey!
Bright future ahead, wear you sun glasses, people!
Fascinating as the stories are of how players choose their shirt numbers i’d much prefer they were assigned based on position. That way everyone knows what role they’re brought in to play from the off. Kondo is a clear 6…
its more dynamic than that my friend. today a team has more that 11 starters because of different tournaments. personalization is more important. anyway, inter would also be short of two positions (no.4+3) as they are protected
personalised shirt numbers give the player too much power to start with. the principle is just plain wrong i think. The coach should assign shirt numbers or offer a selection not give an open choice. I mean 7 is a reasonable number though not positionally accurate for a midfielder who plays in the centre but Naga is 55, Brozo is 77, Hernanes is 88—seriously?!?!
personally i think that is a good thing. for those who won’t get their preferred no. there is still a possibility to have a personal shirt. also its for marketing reasons. cruyff will be remembered for his no. 14, ronaldo for his no.9, zanetti for no. 4, etc. linderos (hokey) for his 77. the same for balo 45.
if you can’t have your favorite. why not have two of the numbers? how much power should they have? why can’t they have power? they are paid to play and perform, but should also thrive. i don’t get your point, man..
Bonvenutto Kondo