Simone Zaza isn’t the sort to get nervous on his debut. He scored just 7 minutes into his Champions League debut for Juventus and assisted Eder’s goal 28 minutes after coming on for his first appearance at Euro 2016. In Lille in two days’ time, he’ll have another opportunity to impress and he naturally wants to make the most of it: “I’m hoping to play”, he told the press conference, “and give the boss a bit of a selection dilemma. I’d love to get a goal, but, even if it’s not me who scores, the thing that I’d like the most is to see the whole bench celebrating like in the first two games. It showed that we’re a united and close group. I feel good, but I think I’ve got more to give.”
Fresh from a season that often that saw him used as a substitute, he helped Juventus to the Scudetto with important goals like the winner against Napoli. He earned his place at Euro 2016 by showing in training session after training session that he wanted to be in the squad at all costs: “Coming on from the bench doesn’t bother me; knowing the manager, you have to earn it. He wants every player to give 100% even if we’re already through.”
Antonio Conte has played a decisive role in his development as a player: “The boss has given us his grit and his determination to never give in. We’re training hard but we know that that’s the only way to do well at this tournament.” Zaza has recently been learning how to drive and he has just launched the Twitter hashtag ‘Madness is good for the mind’: “I’m an upbeat person and there’s a little bit of madness in the way I play. It’s a motto that I found online and reflects me.”
In the press room at Casa Azzurri, the Italy striker reminisced about his footballing childhood and his friendship with Alvaro Morata: “I come from La Basilicata, which isn’t as well-known as other regions. It’s difficult to get spotted there. I used to move around a lot and my parents accompanied me to trials because they didn’t want me to have any regrets. I hear from Morata every day. After his brace the other day, I told him that he’d scored with his head because he’d shaved his hair off like me. I’d like to play against him at the Euros but we’re definitely going on holiday together afterwards”. Hopefully after the 10th July.
Source: figc.it