Bartolomej Dragowski says he’s determined to repay the club and the Viola fans for the confidence they have shown in him ahead of a big season between the sticks.

Three years after joining the club as an 18-year-old, and following a successful stint on loan at Empoli last term, the Poland U21 goalkeeper is preparing to embark on his first season as Fiorentina’s No.1.

Speaking at a press conference to announce the extension of his contract until 2023, Dragowski began: “I’m happy that we can now say my time has come at Fiorentina. Obviously you don’t get anything for free and at the end of the day it’s the coach who picks the team for each match. I’ll work hard to make all the fans happy and the club happy as they’ve shown they believe in me by offering me a new contract.”

Was there ever a time when you thought about leaving?

“Once I spoke to the management and they told me they believed in me, the only thing on my mind was making sure I have a great season at Fiorentina.”

Did you receive any other offers?

“I did – lots of things happen during the transfer window but I chose Fiorentina and Fiorentina chose me. I’m happy to be here.”

What’s it like to have an older keeper such as Pietro Terracciano as your back-up?

“Pietro can help both myself and [Federico] Brancolini a lot because he’s been in the game for longer than us and he’s got a lot of experience. Having said that, you don’t stop learning at 30 so I think we’ll help each other and can push each other to improve.”

What did Rocco Commisso and Joe Barone say to you?

“The president told me to make good saves! They both expressed their confidence in me. Now I want to make them happy.”

What did Dusan Vlahovic say to you when you denied him his first goal in Serie A last season while you were at Empoli?

“He didn’t say anything to me because he was very angry!”

Were Fiorentina on your mind on the last day of the season when an Empoli result against Inter could have seen Fiorentina relegated?

“At the time I was an Empoli player so I was focused on doing well for them but obviously I was hoping Fiorentina won as that would have helped Empoli too.”

How useful was your loan spell at Empoli for your development?

“I’m very happy with my time at Empoli as I had the chance to play and to gain experience. Now I hope to show what I can do at Fiorentina.”

Who’s the better keeper, you or Wojciech Szczesny?

“He’s better at the moment. We’re not on the same level yet. I have to keep working to reach his level. People say I have the potential to become a top keeper and I believe in myself too. I know I have lots of room for improvement.”

What do you think of the rule change that allows players to receive the ball from a goal kick inside the box?

“We’ve been practising it in training, as you do when a new rule is introduced. It’s hard to say now if it will change much because you don’t have the same level of pressure in friendlies. In any case I don’t think it will alter the way we play out from the back.”

Did Aurelio Andreazzoli ask anything different of you to Vincenzo Montella?

“Not really. The main difference between Empoli and Fiorentina is I’ll see less of the ball here so I need to stay alert at all times. It’s easier to stay focused if you’re touching the ball every five minutes than if you don’t see it until you’re called upon to make a save in the second half.”

Do you think you should have been given more of a chance last season?

“I don’t know. Maybe I wasn’t ready. [Antoine] Lafont is an excellent keeper so I accepted the coach’s decision and just worked as hard as I could in training. I’m happy to get my chance now.”

What do you know about Szymon Zurkowski?

We’ve played together for the Poland U21 team. He’s a very talented footballer and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him tired – he’s got a great engine on him. I’m sure he’ll do very well at Fiorentina.”

Published: Thu, 08 Aug 2019 17:00:00 +0200

Source: Fiorentina Official website en.violachannel.tv