New Sampdoria signing Matias Silvestre has revealed that he’s happy to have joined Sinisa Mihajlovic’s squad and has insisted that he will be looking to prove himself during the 2014-15 campaign.
The 29-year-old defender, who arrived at the Blucerchiati on a season-long loan from Inter in the final week of the summer transfer window, is looking forward to earning more playing time with his new team and hopes to help them secure a top 10 finish by the end of the season.
Silvestre spoke during his official presentation to the press about why he decided to join Sampdoria and what he hopes to achieve at the club, while also commenting on his current fitness.
“I’m very happy to be at Sampdoria, this is a club with a great history,” said the Argentine.
“This is a big club which has had great champions play here in the past like Gianluca Vialli, Roberto Mancini, Clarence Seedorf and of course our coach Sinisa Mihajlovic.
“There have also been many Argentines such as Juan Sebastian Veron, whom I hope to imitate, leaving their mark here as well.
“Why did I join Sampdoria? I had been contacted by many, but Sampdoria is the club that I wanted the most.
“We took to each other quickly and for that I thank club president Massimo Ferrero and sporting director Carlo Osti, along with my agent who allowed me to get here.
“Mihajlovic also played a part in my decision. I had worked with the coach at Catania where we had a fantastic season, so he was even more of a factor in my choice to come to the Doria.
“We’re talking about a coach who is always well prepared, who knows how to create big players, who studies games to perfection.
“My condition? The impact has been positive with Sampdoria. I like to talk about the team as a whole and to even go to Palermo, with a man down, is not a trivial matter.
“On a personal level I feel fit, my condition is excellent. Sure, I still lack a bit of pace in the game, as even in pre-season with Inter it took me a few minutes to get my legs going.
“The derby with Genoa? I’ve only spoken about it once thus far and I can tell that it really matters here. Because of this, we want to give satisfaction to the fans so it’s important to do well in a game like this.
“Our goal is to improve even more than we did last year. We will try to impress and gain a permanent spot in the top half of the table.
“What have I missed these past few years? Continuity, because I haven’t been able to play a lot. The injuries didn’t help my case either, but now I’m here to prove who I really am. I really want to get back into the game.”
