schelotto

In Lisbon, Ezequiel Schelotto has found a place where he can call home. He claims in a recent interview with Gianluca Di Marzio: “Here you feel like a God.”

The Argentine-born Italian has experienced a positive change in all aspects of his life, including the city of Lisbon: “At Sporting I found paradise – In every game I feel confident, now I have a new role: I am no longer a midfielder but rather a right-back, it’s a completely different life here.”

The difference was the coach: “I owe everything to Jorge Jesus, my coach here at Sporting. He called me every day just to get me to sign, he wanted me greatly – he said to me:

‘Here, you will play as a fullback, you will learn how to defend and you take all the satisfaction in the world.’ He was right, I will always be grateful.”

The 27 year old then went on to talk about his Buyout clause: “45M Euro, it’s all true. I know that has surprised everyone, but here in Portugal it is a habit, in order to protect the players.”

Call up from Bauza? “It would be a real pride, I confess. I know that coach Bauza is thinking about it, that is a huge honor for me. Maybe I’ll find myself playing alongside Leo Messi, the number one. It’s a dream, really.”

On Joao Mario: “It was an endless negotiation between Inter and Sporting, I remember they changed their minds every day! Joao Mario is a phenomenon. He has impressive technical skills and a personality out of the ordinary. I remember that month, he asked me about Inter – I told him: ‘Go and do your absolute best, Inter is the highest level’. At the end, he went. The Nerazzurri fans will enjoy a fantastic player, just give him time.”

Source: Gianluca Di Marzio