He left Serie A in full footballing maturity to be ready in a league with different characteristics. He will sooner or later return to Italy to enjoy the future.
We are talking about Marco Donadel , the 34-year-old midfielder, who since 2015 has embarked on the football adventure in Major League Soccer in the Canadian team of Montreal Impact .
He left Italy, despite Hellas Verona’s advances, to try a different experience with new stimuli and to try his hand at a different culture.
His rise in football that counts is very rapid: the promotion to Serie A with Lecce and the triumphs in 2004 with the Under 21 national team.
In Serie A he spent his most intense years in Fiorentina, of which he was also captain.
How do you rate your Canadian experience in Mls
I am happy to have made this choice because I made it at the right moment from a physical point of view, given the characteristics of the championship. Coming to age 31, when I was still physically healthy, gave me the opportunity to give my best.
American football has also evolved thanks to the arrival of European footballers. How is the level
Since I came here, football has grown a lot. I can confirm that, from the first appearances in October 2014 until now, the game has improved dramatically. This was possible not only due to the arrival of European players but also thanks to the attention of the clubs that invested in taking trained technicians and improving the sports facilities. For this reason people go to the stadium and there are more resources to invest in young people.
What is Montreal’s goal this season?
Our goal is to improve ourselves every year. In recent seasons we have done well in Concacaf, the American Champions League. As for the championship, we hope to reach the Eastern Conference final again and maybe try to win it.
You are not the first Italian who flew to Canada. Di Vaio and Nesta advised you something
. In reality, the company contacted me directly for a period of “acclimatization” which included knowledge of the facilities and training. I spent two weeks with Marco Di Vaio, who played here. He spoke very highly of the city and society to me.
During a dinner I also had the opportunity to chat with Alessandro Nesta, who showed me how different football was from European football but which still gives a strong experience.
However, beyond their advice, I can reiterate that I came here by my own choice.
There are cultural differences between Italy and Canada
I confirm that there are even if Montreal is a city that looks a lot like the European ones also from the point of view of life. People enjoy their free time: walks, aperitifs and visits to the city.
Matteo Mancosu plays with you, who is said to have “ousted Drogba”. It really happened
There was no real overthrow (laughs, ed). Drogba was in his senior year and the club, in the summer transfer market, tried to buy a forward who would replace him as soon as he left. The choice fell on Matteo Mancosu.
He started off the bench but was ready in the knockout phase. Lucidity and physical freshness, as well as an injury to Drogba, meant that Matteo took the field more regularly.
This does not detract from the great contribution that the Ivorian forward gave to the club and to the dressing room during his stay.
The amazing pass from Donadel and the superb goal by Mancosu through the eye of Impact Media! #IMFC #MTLvNY #TousPourLaCoupe #MLSCupPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/7ksfL079vh
– Impact de Montreal (@impactmontreal) October 30, 2016
What is the relationship with teammates
I prefer to separate the professional relationship from the friendly one. With all my teammates I try to establish a relationship of respect first and foremost. The feeling on the pitch also helps knowledge.
I have a room with Mancosu and we often go out into town or play cards. You have fun with Argentines, such as Ignacio Piatti, also for language ease. But all in all I have a good connection with all members of the squad.
What was your football idol
As a child, in the late 80s and early 90s, I was attracted by the technique and goals of the “goal twins” Vialli and Mancini in Sampdoria. From fifteen I loved performers like Veron at the time of Parma and Rui Costa in Florence.
Following my permanent position in midfield, I can certainly say that my idol was former Manchester United captain Roy Keane. The Irishman has always embodied my prototype as a midfielder.
There will be a chance that Americans will come to Italy to play more often
Yes, I think there will be Americans in Italy also thanks to an increasingly global market. Self-denial and work, especially in training, will allow young Americans to improve and thus experience an experience in European football. Let’s say that American kids lack only that “malice” that we Italians learn especially as children in the fields or in the parks.
What do you do in your free
time? I don’t have a lot of free time due to slackening. In moments of relaxation I am a full-time pope. When the temperatures are pleasant my family and I try to go out for walks in the parks, while when I have a few more days we opt to visit other American cities.
There was some particular situation upon your arrival
The first months, since I still had my family in Italy, were a bit difficult also due to the cold temperatures. It snowed a lot and at first, when I was driving, I wasn’t used to stopping far from the traffic lights and, well, I often found myself in the middle of the intersection! (laughs, ed).
What was the best moment of your career in general
I can count myself lucky because I have had so many great moments in my career. I experienced my first joy in Lecce when we got promotion to Serie A. The following season in Parma we got a qualification for the Uefa Cup with a young team.
I also have wonderful memories with the Under 21 National Team where in 2004 in a few months we won the European Championship in Germany and the bronze medal at the Athens Olympics.
However, I spent the best years in Florence where I had consistency in playing and found many friends. An indelible memory will surely be linked to my last match in the purple jersey when the whole Franchi stadium greeted me with affection at the end of the match, that same evening my daughter was also born. A mix of emotions.
Now I look forward to experiencing some good feelings here in Canada as well.
You miss Italy
Once your experience is over, what will you do
Of course I miss: food, life, people’s sunshine and much more. I go back to Italy twice a year and I believe that sooner or later they will return to my land. I am still trying to learn many things in the football world and, if there is a way in the future, I could stay in the world of football.
Dario Sette
