Tommaso Pobega has explained why he decided to join Bologna from AC Milan, expressing his delight at being able to compete in the Champions League again.
On their official website last week, Bologna announced that they have signed Pobega from Milan on a loan deal until 30 June 2025, with the option to make it a permanent acquisition once the season is over.
It has been reported that the option to buy figure in the deal is somewhere around €10-15m, which would be a pure capital gain for Milan given Pobega is an academy graduate. He chose to seek new pastures after Paulo Fonseca made it clear he is not part of his plans.
Speaking of head coaches, Pobega will actually reunite with Vincenzo Italiano who was his manager during his first Serie A loan spell with Spezia, where he became a regular starter and scored some important goals.
Pobega spoke at a press conference today to unveil himself as a new Bologna player and he answered questions from journalists about how he ended up there, with 1000CuoriRossoblu relaying his comments.
How do you feel?
“I’m fine, the last six months of last season were difficult but I started well from the start of the season and I trained with Milan. This is a very important step in my career. I’m arriving at a great club that has had a fantastic season, has reached the Champions League and wants to continue playing well.
“I hope to help the team in the best way possible towards this goal. The dialogue with the club was quick, my agent had a relationship with the director and then there were meetings. I was open right away because I see a strong, healthy group, with a desire to do and get involved. These characteristics have pushed me more than anything.”
Bologna will play in the Champions League…
“The Champions League is every player’s dream. You compete with big teams and it gives you incredible visibility, they are really the games you train your whole life to play. Meeting the coach again is personally very interesting, he made me grow with Spezia.
“He makes the teams he coaches play well and he makes the individuals who give their contribution grow within the team. I aim to improve further.”
What is Vincenzo Italiano like?
“It was my first year in Serie A, he gave me a lot in making me understand how to manage the games and the league. He made me grow in the game, in my confidence. It’s no longer my first season, nor his. The idea of the game that I see is always the same, precise, that has the same principles.”
Which role do you like to play the most?
“The one that helps the team the most. Over the years I have been a winger and a left midfielder, sometimes a two-man midfielder… The role I prefer is the one that is most needed in the game.
“I don’t hide the fact that I like to get forward, filling the area and trying to finish moves, but I adapt to what is needed for the game and the team.”
How do you feel leaving Milan?
“Two years at Milan are too short, because I started there at 14, when I moved. I’ve always considered it a second family, I still thank all the people who are there.
“On a professional level, however, it is important to make choices and this is fundamental for my career, I am very happy to have made this decision.”
What are your first impressions of the squad?
“My first relationship was with Erlic, who was also my teammate at Spezia. But I also immediately had relationships with De Silvestri, Orsolini, Fabbian, people with whom I had already spoken as opponents.
“What impressed me most was the general welcome, it’s an open group that immediately tries to include, I’ve been here a short time but already in the first away game and in training I immediately saw a lot of effort to make a team-mate feel at ease to be ready to play together.”
Why did you choose Bologna?
“The fact that Bologna is a great place, that the team plays well, that the coach has clear ideas weighed on my choice. Many factors were fundamental in my idea of growth.
“There are many objectives that can be had, I will work day by day towards this. If an important season arrives, which we all hope for, these things will also be welcome. Team satisfaction comes first, the rest is all a consequence.”
Where would you like to grow the most?
“Certainly one of the points where I have to grow that the coach pointed out to me already at Spezia is the management of moments. You must not force the play when it is not necessary and instead maybe try it at the right moment. This is a step that I have to take to grow as a player.
“I like to define myself as selfless, I always try to put the good of the team first and it gives me a lot of personal satisfaction. Even if it doesn’t seem like it, it is often a matter of small steps that help to get to the final result. Over the years this characteristic has always distinguished me.
Who is your idol?
“Outside of football my idol is Lebron James. I love basketball a lot, both NBA and Italian basketball. Historically Bologna has always had a great culture. Trieste is also very linked to basketball. And Lebron has always been an idol for me both on and off the pitch, also for all the operations he does for charity.
“In football my idol since I was a child has always been Schweinsteiger, I watched him in the national team and dreamed of becoming like him.”
