Fiorentina’s latest signing Mauro Zarate is sure his new side can take part in the Scudetto race challenging the two main candidates Napoli and Juventus.
The Argentinian left West Ham last week and has already made his debut with the Viola coming on as a substitute towards the end of the 2-0 win against Torino on Sunday.
“I’m really happy to be back in Italy,” Zarate told reporters during its official presentation.
“I really enjoyed the Premier League, but I didn’t feel at ease with my position on the pitch.
“That’s why I decided to come here, to play as a forward, which is my role.”
The 28-year-old had two previous spells in Italy at Lazio and Inter, during which he was criticised for his lack of consistency.
“I made several mistakes in my career,” the forward added. “The first was moving to Qatar when I was 20. I’ve matured a lot not only during my experience in England, but also thanks to my sons’ birth.
“I played for Velez in Argentina and I regained confidence, scoring a lot of goals. Now I want to show my qualities here.”
Zarate joined the Paulo Sousa’s side as they’re living one of the best seasons in recent years, sitting third in Serie A just six points behind the leaders Napoli.
“I came here because I’m sure we can get one of the first three places,” he said.
“We have to play well and also need a bit of luck as Juventus and Napoli are doing great.
“The Europa League? Tottenham are a strong team, very physical. We’ll need to make no mistakes and get the most from theirs.”
Erm, so where was the criticism of West Ham United?
He said he never felt at ease with his position on the pitch, which is surely a criticism of his own limited abilities, but enjoyed the premier league.
Bit of a false headline don’t you think.