Former Manchester United man David De Gea has been officially presented as the new goalkeeper for Fiorentina. During his introduction, De Gea expressed his enthusiasm for joining the club, saying, “I am very happy to be here. I will give everything for Fiorentina and the fans. I would like to thank the entire staff for the warm welcome. It has been a different year for me, and I chose not to play. But I didn’t want to retire, and I trained on my own. I needed to be at 100%. When I heard about Fiorentina, I was clear about my decision. There are great fans here and a wonderful environment. The decision was easy.”
Reflecting on his aspirations, De Gea said, “Great goalkeepers and players have been here. I hope to make history with the club and give everything for the purple jersey, helping the younger players and bringing a winning mentality.”
Regarding his career goals, he added, “I want to face various strikers. I want to help Fiorentina in every way possible. I aim to bring experience to the entire team and promise to always give my best, training at 100%. Serie A is one of the best leagues in the world. I can’t wait to face all our opponents.”
De Gea also shared his thoughts on the upcoming season’s objectives: “In Spain, there’s a saying: the third time’s the charm. Let’s hope that’s the case in the Conference League. We need to focus on the short term, moving forward game by game. We must try to achieve all our goals, even though it’s challenging.”
Discussing his sabbatical and the fans, De Gea explained, “I didn’t play, it’s true, but I wasn’t inactive. I was in Manchester and Madrid training. I knew I would return to compete at the highest level. Training alone is more complicated, but I always trained. I spent 12 years at a great club, which was my home, and my heart will always be there. I received offers, but it was hard to find motivation immediately. So I chose to take a year off.”
On his current readiness, he stated, “I feel great and have trained very intensely. I’m at a good level. It might take a little time, but I’ve been playing for many years. Once I’m in goal, I’ll be ready.”
Addressing competition with fellow goalkeeper Pietro Terracciano, De Gea remarked, “Competition is always good. It’s important that playing isn’t easy and that there are people ready to take your place. This benefits us. I know the goalkeepers and teammates, although I haven’t trained with them yet. I can’t wait to train with them.”
Regarding the transfer process, he commented, “I had many offers. But I wanted to play in Serie A. Fiorentina contacted me, making everything easy. When both parties want the deal to happen, it becomes simple and quick. We are all very happy. For me, Fiorentina was the best possible solution.”
On playing style, De Gea said, “There are many opinions on this. A goalkeeper must have foot skills if the coach requires it. But the most important thing for a goalkeeper is to prevent goals. I consider myself a complete goalkeeper. Now we need to get to know each other better and improve together.”
Finally, discussing his choice to join Fiorentina, he concluded, “Football matters to me, and it’s even better if the city is beautiful. I wasn’t too concerned about the city itself; I was interested in the project.”
