Parma’s goalkeeper Zion Suzuki shared his thoughts on his career and aspirations in an interview with La Repubblica. The 22-year-old revealed his connection to football anime, stating, “I’m too young for Captain Tsubasa. I grew up with Inazuma Eleven. It portrays football less realistically, but the stories are more interesting.”
Addressing rumors about rejecting offers from Premier League giants, Suzuki explained, “When I was in Japan, Premier League clubs were interested, but I would have played more in Belgium. I’m happy with my choice. Serie A is known worldwide for its goalkeeper quality.”
Suzuki named Manchester City’s Ederson as his idol, praising his footwork and ability to create opportunities for attackers. While acknowledging Buffon as a legend and appreciating Donnarumma, he expressed a preference for Tottenham’s Vicario, citing his “incredible reflexes and ability to save deflected shots from close range.”
The young goalkeeper embraces technology in his training, using special glasses to improve reflexes, similar to Inter’s Sommer. He also utilizes BlazePod light-up buttons and the Neurotracker system, which projects moving balls onto a screen.
When asked about facing Inter Milan, Suzuki surprisingly named Dimarco as the player he fears most, praising his “impressive shot and crosses.”
On a lighter note, Suzuki admitted to not trying sushi in Italy yet, despite his teammates’ encouragement. “In Japan, I know sushi is high quality, but here I’m wary of surprises, to be honest,” he said.
Suzuki also mentioned that former Verona and Torino midfielder Massimo Ficcadenti is the most beloved Italian figure in Japanese football, due to his extensive coaching experience in Japan.
Concluding the interview, Suzuki shared his ambitious goals: “I dream of becoming the world’s strongest goalkeeper and winning the Champions League. I put it on the same level as winning the World Cup with Japan, which is very difficult outside of anime. But never say never.”
