New recruit Marcello Fiorentini has arrived in Newcastle and immediately feels at home.
Recent Newcastle Jets recruit, Italian midfielder Marcello Fiorentini, has today arrived in Australia after enduring the lengthy flight from Milan.
However, the diminutive playmaker this afternoon explained that he already feels at home in the Hunter.
“Absolutely, I love this country, I love the weather. I-ve really enjoyed my time here, I-ve stayed before for one month in Australia and now I hope to stay as long as possible,” he said.
After spending his formative years in the city of Roma in the youth setup of Serie A club SS Lazio, the 29-year-old has more recently lived in the Lombardy region, particularly in the city of Brescia. There, Fiorentini has continued to ply his trade as a professional footballer, and he believes that the environment in Newcastle is akin to that of his northern Italian home.
“Brescia is similar to Newcastle, it-s not so big but there we have no beach, but it-s nice and similar.”
“I was born in Roma, it-s a big city like Sydney but I found my true dimension in Brescia, which is a little smaller but you can find everything.”
In addition to settling in his new home, the former Palazzolo man has, during his trial period last month, taken to his new teammates. Indeed, he explained that the tight-knit nature of the Jets- dressing room could be the catalyst of the team-s success in the forthcoming Hyundai A-League season.
“I am Italian and I don-t speak English very well, but the first thing I discovered was that (my teammates) try to help me, and that has been the top discovery for me. I love that because all of them have helped me with everything.”
“That-s what Branko (Culina) asked of the team, was that we make a good friendship to each other,” said Fiorentini.
The man who will wear the number 17 jersey for the club next season also has another link to his homeland through former Jets marquee player Fabio Vignaroli.
“I never met him, personally, but obviously I know of him and I know he has had a good career in Italy. My teammates here told me he has done well here, he has just been unlucky about his injury.”
“In Italy 17 is an unlucky number and the history of the 17 here in Newcastle with Vignaroli is no good because he had a bad injury, but I want to change the history of the number, absolutely,” he stated.
The Jets will begin their Hyundai A-League 2010/11 preparations this evening when they take on start-up club Melbourne Heart in Morwell, Victoria for their first pre-season hit-out. The team-s first pre-season match in Newcastle is scheduled for Wednesday, 14 July when the Jets will take on Northern NSW XI at Darling Street Oval.
