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New Chelsea signing Marco Palestra has expressed his desire to follow in the footsteps of Italian icon Gianfranco Zola and become a legend at Stamford Bridge.
The 21-year-old Italian joined the Blues in a £47 million deal from Atalanta, pointing out a shared history with Zola at Cagliari before making the move to Stamford Bridge.
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He joined the Blues despite an offer from Inter Milan, and Palestra in a chat with the club’s website, acknowledges he is the latest Italian, following the likes of Gianfranco Zola, Gianluca Vialli, and Jorginho, to come through Stamford Bridge.
“I didn’t call him for advice about joining Chelsea, but I know Zola played for Cagliari and Chelsea—he is a legend. Maybe I can achieve the same success as he did at Chelsea. I hope I can become a legend like him at Chelsea.
“Cagliari completely changed my life. I joined them and three days later I was in the starting lineup. Coach Pisacane gave me great confidence and trust. My teammates were the same—they trusted me more and more with every game. The fans were amazing, simply incredible.
“I spoke with Zappacosta after joining Chelsea. He always told me all the good things about Chelsea. I played with him—he’s a great person. I know many Italian players have played for Chelsea, and I want to be the next top player.
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“I like Xabi Alonso’s style of football. All my Chelsea teammates like his style—it’s a really good approach. I’m happy to train and play in the early season matches with Xabi Alonso and my teammates. I think we can have a good season.
“He told me his expectations, his ideas, and other things before I joined the team—not just about football. We had a great conversation about many aspects, so I am very satisfied with that.”
