Chiesa seeks fresh start at Anfield
Federico Chiesa has expressed his desire for a “new chapter” at Liverpool under new head coach Andoni Iraola, following a period of limited playing time under Arne Slot. The forward indicated that he aims for a more significant role this season.
Despite being linked with a return to Italy, Chiesa has stated he is not actively seeking a move away from Anfield. He views Iraola’s appointment as an opportunity for a fresh beginning with the club.
“It is always a fresh start at the beginning of the year,” said the 28-year-old. “Maybe there have been too many fresh starts [for him]. But I don’t care, I am trying to do my best for this new manager.”
Chiesa featured in 36 appearances for Slot last season, but only five of these were starts. He made just one Premier League start. His last start was in the FA Cup fourth-round victory against Brighton on 14 February.
“Last year I also felt ready to play a bigger role, but then it depended on whether the coach wanted me to play or not,” Chiesa explained. “The gaffer had his game plans, he took his decisions, I have nothing to say about that. This year, let us say it is a new chapter.”
Conversations with the new coach
Chiesa confirmed that his discussions with Iraola have primarily focused on tactical aspects rather than his future at the club. “The only conversations I had were about pressing and tactics,” he noted. He also mentioned that Iraola deployed him as a striker during the recent friendly against Sunderland.
During the 4-2 friendly win against Sunderland in Nashville, Chiesa scored Liverpool’s third goal. Other goals in the match were scored by Kieran Morrison, Enzo Le Fee, Timur Tuterov, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Lewis Koumas.
The Italy international, who has two years remaining on his current contract with Liverpool, stated that his priority is to impress the new head coach. He has been linked with clubs in Serie A, including Como and his former club Juventus.
“Right now, at the moment, I am happy here at Liverpool,” Chiesa affirmed. “I love the club, I love the fans, I love everything. I am doing the best I can to have a chance here. And then we will see. At the minute, the only thing I am thinking about is Liverpool.”
Ambitions for the season ahead
Chiesa also reflected on Liverpool’s previous season, which saw them secure Champions League qualification on the final day. He believes the club deserves more and highlighted the need for improvement.
“Liverpool deserves more. Two years ago, we were Premier League champions. Last year, we almost went out of the Champions League spots. We were battling for fifth, which was enough at the time but as we know usually only four go in. We were lucky,” Chiesa stated.
He added that the team needs to perform better in both the Champions League and the Premier League this season, especially after being eliminated by PSG in the Champions League last term. Chiesa also hopes to regain his place in the national team, having missed out on recent squads. He spoke with former national team manager Gennaro Gattuso but was not physically ready at the time, and later sustained an injury in March.
Chiesa expressed his eagerness to play for the national team again, having previously won the European Championship with them.
Source: theguardian.com
