< ![CDATA[
Juan Manuel Vargas spoke from Fiorentina’s training base in Lima on the eve of their Copa EuroAmericana clash with Universitario:

“I’m pleased to be able to play in my country. I hope there’ll be a lot of fans in the stadium and that tomorrow’s match will be a showcase for Peruvian football.

“It will be the last match of the Copa EuroAmericana and we hope to contribute to a European victory with a win tomorrow.

“I’m happy and excited that our opponents are the team which I grew up playing for. We’re still in  pre-season at the moment and we hope to put in a good performance. We’ll try to show our technical ability and do our utmost to lift the cup.

“Will I ever go back to Universitario? You never know what’s coming in the future but one of my dreams is to end my career playing for the club where I started out.

“Right now I’m only thinking about continuing to work hard so that I’m ready for the start of the season, just like the rest of my team-mates. Our goal is to have a good season in the league and play well in Europe. Our ultimate aim is to qualify for the Champions League – there is no reason why we aren’t capable of that.

“Personally, I hope to play regularly and perhaps add another achievement to my footballing career. Fiorentina are a team on the way up and we must continue to work consistently and with humility – that’s the right path to follow.

“This tour experience is definitely a positive one in terms of understanding where we are with our preparation.”

]]>