Fiorentina forward Mateo Pellegrino was interviewed by La Gazzetta dello Sport, discussing various topics about his career.
Mateo Pellegrino moved around a lot with his father Mauricio from a young age. Mauricio was a professional player and is now a coach. Spain, Italy, England, and then his hometown of Argentina, where he made his debut for Vélez Sarsfield. The forward said: "I have friends everywhere, and even though it was pouring rain outside, I was wearing a short-sleeved jersey and shorts, so it wasn't hard for me to adapt."
He arrived in Fiorentina a few months ago, and with that goal against Juventus, he sent the whole city into a frenzy. It was his first headed goal for the Viola. Mateo Pellegrino said: "Paolo Vanoli showed us a video, wanting us to understand the significance of this match. I saw Batistuta celebrating like that back then, so I naturally copied it. But that was just an exception."
Does this mean no more machine gun celebrations?
"No, because it wouldn't be appropriate. That's his celebration, I just borrowed it for a special moment."
Juventus also wanted you this summer, do you regret choosing Fiorentina?
"When we arrived at the stadium, the fans already made us feel it. The atmosphere in the city is truly different, but now we also have to perform the same way against other teams. For me, scoring is always happy, and I am even happier for the fans."
Juventus wanted you this summer. Do you regret coming to Fiorentina?
"No, when I made the choice, I was very sure it was the right one, and Fiorentina is exactly that. I get along very well with my teammates, and I feel trusted, which I will repay with daily training."
I suppose you received many congratulations. Did Batistuta send you a message too?
"No, he didn't write to me this time. I met him at the centenary celebration, and later we reconnected because I wanted to see him again. He helped me understand what it means to play for Fiorentina, and I hope to see him again soon. The best message I received was from my father: he told me that besides the goal, I played an excellent game. I rarely talk about football with him. He's coaching at Lanús now and hasn't seen me play live yet, but my mother has. My family all lives in Argentina, I'm the second of four siblings, and the third child also plays football: he plays forward in the Argentine Second Division."
Your father coached you at Vélez Sarsfield: what was it like sharing a locker room with him?
"It wasn't easy, because sometimes people would complain and say bad things about him. But I always reassured my teammates to express themselves freely, and sometimes I would get angry at my dad myself... We are all professional players, and this experience was positive overall."
Do you still remember when your father was an assistant coach at Internazionale?
"I don't remember much. I was 7 then and only spent one season in the youth academy. Following my father, I moved around to many teams. In Liverpool, I learned English and became obsessed with Fernando Torres: I wanted to score goals like him. In Parma, I had to learn Italian from scratch again..."
What changes have occurred in the team since Paolo Vanoli returned to coaching?
"The attitude has changed. The coach emphasized this a lot, as well as the team concept: he made us understand how important it is to wear the Fiorentina jersey, and that one person alone cannot achieve anything. However, we must not think we are out of the crisis: we must remain calm and humble, and when the league restarts after the international break, we will have a very tough match against Monza."
Paolo Vanoli said that to score more goals, you need to be fed better: do you agree?
"More passes mean more chances, but a striker also needs to know how to wait for an opportunity and turn it into a goal. I always try to stay focused. In the box, I feel strong, good at controlling the ball and receiving long passes, but I still need to improve my performance outside the box and my involvement in link-up play."
Do you consider the national team?
"Playing for Argentina is a dream, but I try not to think too much about it. I need to play well for Fiorentina first. As long as I keep improving and working hard, I believe that day will come."
Is Franco Mastantuono ready to take Messi's No. 10 jersey?
"Franco has the personality, he's worn the number 10 before, but he's not the only option. Lautaro and Nico Paz, among others, can also wear it. There's no other Messi in the world, so comparing him is meaningless. Whoever wears the No. 10 shouldn't feel pressure: everyone should help him."
Do you and Franco hang out often off the field?
"Of course, we are good friends. I often go to his house, we play music together, I play the drums, and he plays the guitar. Now I'm learning the piano too. I don't understand music like he does, but I enjoy it, it helps me relax."
But Franco Mastantuono hasn't assisted you yet...
"Franco is excellent, even though he is still very young. The assist will come sooner or later, and I believe it will be wonderful. And once the first one comes, they won't stop."
Lautaro, Dybala, Matías Soulé, Nico Paz: there are many Argentinians in Serie A, who would you most like to play with?
"Dybala, so he and Franco Mastantuono can feed me the ball, and I'll be responsible for scoring. It doesn't matter if he's left-footed like Franco, we'll always find a way..."
Who is your idol in attack, and who is the toughest defender you've faced?
"I study Haaland, his physique and body type are most similar to mine. He is very well-rounded and the strongest among box strikers. The toughest defender is Akanji, he's very good with his feet, hard to press, intelligent, and physically strong."
It's often said that Fiorentina lacks leaders. Do you consider yourself one?
"Not yet, but I can become one. I have personality, and people have always told me that being a leader comes naturally to me. We also have De Gea and L. Ranieri, who are experienced and have great personalities."