Focus On | Nicola Leali

Verona - In the new episode of Focus On, we get to know Nicola Leali, the new Gialloblù goalkeeper, better. From the journey that brought him to Verona, to the experiences he has had in Italy and abroad, and the way he approaches such a complex and fascinating role, Leali talks to our microphones, retracing the key moments that have shaped his career.

This episode of Focus On is also available on Hellas Verona Spotify channel.

Welcome to Verona, Nicola. What are your first impressions as a Gialloblù player? "Positive feelings, definitely. I have found an environment where we can work well, where there is a desire to work well, and I think that this is important."

Tell us about these first weeks of pre-season training in Folgaria and the sessions in Peschiera. You have met new teammates and new coaches: how are you settling in? "Folgaria helped us a lot to get to know each other, because we were together all day and that is what pre-season camps are useful for. We worked very well in the mountains, also thanks to the cooler temperatures, which certainly helped us push harder. I had the chance to meet new teammates and new coaches, and that is always a stimulus, because it allows you to discover not only new people, but also different ways of working, which then help everyone’s growth."

As you said, you have gained a lot of experience and tested different training methods. Is there anything new you are working on with your new goalkeeping coaches? "It is certainly a different way of working compared to what I have experienced in the past. They are coaches who pay great attention to detail, and I like that. They are very thorough in what they do, they are real perfectionists, and this is very positive because it helps you grow and always be ready to give your best."

You have arrived at a new team with new teammates, but you have also reunited with Grigoris Kastanos, with whom you shared the dressing room at Zulte Waregem in Belgium. What memories do you have of that period? "First of all, my hair! But yes, during those six months I had the chance to get to know Greg. We shared an experience abroad, we were both young, he even more than me. We still talk about it sometimes, because it was above all a human experience that I think helped both of us discover a different way of living."

On the first matchday, you will immediately face Ascoli, a club where you spent many years and made many appearances. If you had to explain to a teammate what that period of your career represented, where would you start? And what emotion will it be to face them as an opponent in the first league game with your new shirt? "It was certainly an important period for me, because I was coming from a time when I wasn’t playing. Ascoli gave me the opportunity to start playing again and to return to doing what I love most. I think it was an important step for this reason and for everything that happened in the following years. I definitely have important memories there, and my daughter spent her early years there, so I will always carry all of this with me. Of course, the first matchday will be emotional because of that, but above all because it will be the first league game at our stadium, with our fans. I think this will definitely be the greatest emotion."

You have experienced very different leagues, both in Serie B and Serie A. What has Serie B taught you and what, in your opinion, is needed to face it in the best possible way? "Serie B is always a different and unique championship, because every year new situations arise and different difficulties emerge. There are always surprise teams and teams that were expected to have a great season but instead find themselves struggling. I think Serie B is a league where you have to be mentally ready and where you can be at the top for a certain period and then suddenly find yourself behind without even realizing it. It is truly a very balanced championship, where consistency and work really make the difference."

At Olympiacos you experienced for the first time the pressure of having to win every match. How did that period help you on a personal level and as a player? "It was a great period, because I was coming from years where I had been fighting to avoid relegation and I had the chance to experience something different, where you had to win and, if you didn’t, you had failed. It is certainly a different mentality, difficult in its own way and with different challenges, but you learn what it means to have to win all the time."

From Olympiacos, a passionate and ambitious environment, you moved to Belgium with Zulte Waregem, which at that time was also experiencing European football for the first time. Looking back, what has stayed with you the most, especially from those Europa League nights? "The Europa League is certainly a European competition that, I think, was somewhat underestimated in Italy during a certain period. It is less so now. However, I think it is a beautiful competition to play and experience. Playing in Europe, travelling to different countries and facing teams you maybe didn’t know, in stadiums you had never seen before, is something beautiful that gives you important emotions. Because, in the end, the beauty of football is creating emotions."

Between Greece, Belgium and Italy, you have experienced different ways of living football. Is there a mentality or habit you discovered abroad that you would have liked to find in Italian clubs as well? "I think some habits have now arrived in Italy too, because many players have come from abroad. Many things that were once absolutely forbidden in Italy have become normal, such as simply playing music before matches, whereas a few years ago there was absolute silence in Italy. I think this is a small habit that, over the years, has also arrived in Italy."

You are a goalkeeper who talks a lot to guide the defensive line, or do you prefer a quieter approach? "Usually I am a goalkeeper who talks in order to help others. I try to give the indications that can help my teammates in the different situations that can occur during a match, or to highlight the right things they do and that can motivate them. I am a goalkeeper who, in his own way, tries to express both positive emotions and his support towards his teammates."

Being a goalkeeper certainly requires greater mental strength, both when you are asked to come on during a match and when you have to be ready after spending time on the bench. How do you train the concentration needed to be decisive from one second to the next? "These are things that are difficult to train. You can only train them through work and difficulties, trying to stay focused during training sessions, but above all trying to find your own balance when the moment comes to enter the pitch. In those situations, beyond everything else, emotions and nervousness also come into play. I think it is difficult to train this aspect, but there are methods that can help and allow you to remain as calm as possible."

Throughout your career you have experienced many first times: your professional debut, your Serie A debut and your first Europa League match. Which first time gave you the greatest emotion and why? "I think that, fortunately, I have experienced many emotions in my career, so choosing one is difficult. It feels like yesterday that I played my first Serie A match. I carry those emotions with me and I always try to find them again in training and in matches, because I think that when they are no longer there, it will probably be time to stop playing."

You entered professional football at a very young age and today you are an experienced goalkeeper. What is the main difference between Nicola then and Nicola today? "I think the difference is in the mindset. The Nicola of that time perhaps thought less, enjoyed himself more even away from football and lived in a more carefree way, as is right for a young player. Today’s Nicola is more meticulous, more attentive to details and to daily work. I think this is the difference brought by the experiences I have had over the years."

If you could speak to the Nicola of those years, what would you tell him? "The only thing I would tell him is to try to do everything at one hundred percent of his potential and of what he was capable of at that moment."

Is there a goalkeeper you played with or worked with who left you something special? "With all the guys I have worked with, I have always tried to build a relationship based on sharing and growth. Some more, some less, but it is not fair to name anyone. Certainly, though, I had the opportunity to train with Buffon for a short time and I think that, having also been my childhood idol, he gave me emotions that nobody else could have given me."

How do you experience, at nineteen years old, such a demanding comparison as the one with Buffon and the label of being a prodigy? "When you are young, you don’t realize these labels and how heavy they can be. As your career progresses, it is mainly people outside who give them importance. A young player doesn’t realize it and, sometimes, this can be harmful because he may think he has already reached a level that, in reality, he has not yet achieved."

Among all the forwards you have faced, who has been the most lethal? "There are many great forwards. Thinking about the more recent period, I can say that Lautaro Martínez was one of those players you could not give even the smallest amount of space to, and who make you understand what it means to be a champion."

What has been the best save of your career? "It is difficult to choose. Even the less spectacular saves have brought important emotions, so choosing one is impossible. I hope the best and most exciting one will always be the next one."

You are also very good at saving penalties. Does it come more from studying, instinct, or both? "Behind penalties there is study, instinct and many other elements that now lead both the striker and the goalkeeper to analyse the situation."

Comment on these phrases about your role:

The loneliness of the number one. "It is a true phrase, because we are alone for most of our time, both during training and during matches. Only those who have been goalkeepers can understand this phrase."

Goalkeepers are all a little crazy. "Yes, I think it is true. However, I believe everyone expresses it in a different way. There are goalkeepers who are perhaps crazy in their solitude or in their daily life, while there are more extroverted goalkeepers who transmit this characteristic to more people. I think that, to be a goalkeeper, diving many times onto the ground and throwing yourself between an opponent’s legs requires a bit of madness from childhood."

Between the posts you need your hands, but you save with your head. "Yes, because the goalkeeper’s role is a very mental one. I think psychology is very important, as is the balance you need to maintain both in negative moments and positive ones. You must not get carried away after making a great save, because a mistake can always be around the corner. At the same time, a mistake cannot ruin a match or what will happen in the future."

When you go home, do you like to completely switch off from football or do you enjoy watching matches and continuing to study the game? "It depends. More than matches, I like watching goalkeepers. It is really a passion for the role. When I watch a match, my focus is always more on the goalkeepers. Sometimes I don’t like watching an entire match, but I prefer to watch afterwards what a goalkeeper did or how he worked. So it depends: at home sometimes I switch off and sometimes I don’t, depending on the period and the level of tiredness."

Is there a passion or hobby that few people know about? "As a passion, I can say Formula 1. It is something I am very passionate about and enjoy following. I also have other small hobbies that I keep to myself, but I think Formula 1 is something that, whenever I can, I always try to watch."

Who do you support? "Ferrari and, now, obviously also Antonelli."

You have already experienced the Bentegodi many times as an opponent. What memory do you have of this stadium and the passion of Hellas fans? Now that you will experience it wearing the Gialloblù shirt, what feeling does it give you? "I remember a stadium and an environment that were great to experience and play in. There is certainly pressure, but I think it is a positive aspect because it always pushes you to improve. These are the places where you dream of playing from childhood, when you go to the stadium to watch matches. That is the feeling, and I certainly can’t wait to experience it on the pitch."

Send a message to the Gialloblù fans. "Hi butei, see you soon at the stadium and I can’t wait to see you!"