Focus On | Nunzio Lella

Verona - In the latest edition of Focus On, we get to know Nunzio Lella a little better. From his Bari roots to Sardinia, from working his way up through Serie C to three promotions to Serie A, and finally to his arrival at Hellas: a journey through the experiences that have helped shape the No. 23. Nunzio also talks about his bond with Santeramo, the role of his family, the importance of the dressing room and his new life in Verona, from going to the cinema to exploring the city on foot.

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

Let’s start from the last match: against Vicenza, we saw you fighting until the very last minute despite suffering from cramps. Beyond the technical and tactical side of the game, is that the kind of character that represents you as a player? "Absolutely. I give everything for the shirt on the pitch and I always try to win. I’m very competitive in life as well, so when I play, I give everything, even until I have nothing left, always trying to give something more."

From a technical and tactical point of view, what kind of player are you and which position do you feel most comfortable in? "I prefer playing as a left-sided midfielder, although I’ve played in other positions throughout my career. I’ve played as a holding midfielder in a two-man midfield and, more rarely, as a wing-back. I like making runs into the box, getting forward, but also keeping possession and helping my teammates build from the back."

If we go back to the beginning of your career, you left Bari at 17 to move to Sardinia. What did it mean for you, as a teenager, to live away from home for the first time? "Leaving home at 17 is never easy, especially because you leave your friends and your parents behind. Being in Sardinia meant being on an island and therefore even further away from home. It wasn’t easy at first, but at Cagliari I found some fantastic people. The Club and my teammates were brilliant at making me feel at home."

After Cagliari’s Primavera, you spent three seasons at Olbia, making almost 100 appearances between Serie C and the Coppa Italia. How important was that experience for your development? "Moving from the Primavera to Serie C and starting to play senior football isn’t easy. In the Primavera, winning matters, but the priority is the player’s development. Among the professionals, every game has a different weight and getting the three points becomes essential. That experience helped me enormously, and I still carry that mentality with me today: wanting to win and doing everything possible to get the result."

In 2024, you returned to Bari. What did it feel like to wear the shirt of your hometown club? "It was an incredible feeling because I fulfilled a small dream: playing at the San Nicola in front of the people of Bari. I grew up there and came through the entire youth academy, so being on that pitch was fantastic. I even managed to score on my debut and celebrate under the Curva Nord, with all my friends and relatives there. It was unforgettable."

Before joining Verona, you had many different experiences. Is there one that contributed to your growth more than the others? "I’d say my experience at Cagliari in Serie B, because it was the first time I had been at an important club. Cagliari had just been relegated from Serie A and it wasn’t an easy period. I played very little during the first six months under Mister Liverani, then Mister Ranieri put his faith in me and gave me more playing time. That season, with around 20 appearances, gave me greater confidence and a sense of responsibility that I still feel today."

You had already faced Verona as an opponent. What was it like to make the Bentegodi your home? "The Bentegodi is fantastic because people here live for football. I’ve been lucky enough to find a place to live in the city centre, and I often meet fans. They’re fantastic people and you can see how much they care about the shirt. Last season I played here in the Coppa Italia against Verona and I also scored the final penalty for Venezia. I remember the whistles when I stepped up to take it: I admit I was a little scared at that moment, but I managed to take it well. Playing against Verona is never easy."

When you meet the fans around the city, what do they ask you? "We mostly talk about football, but they ask me to show plenty of desire and commitment, because that’s what they want to see. And rightly so. We have to show our attachment to the shirt and give everything for this Club."

What convinced you to accept Verona’s offer? And what has impressed you most during these first few months? "It’s difficult to turn down an offer from Verona. It’s a very important club in Italy, with a great history, so when an opportunity like this comes along, it’s difficult not to accept it. I’ve also found a fantastic environment here: everyone who works around the Club is special, they work well and make you feel comfortable straight away. For me, that’s fundamental."

What kind of group have you found here, and what does Baroni ask of you? "I’ve found a great group, made up of fun and friendly guys. They did a great job of involving me from the very beginning because it’s never a given that you’ll settle in straight away, but I immediately felt part of the group. The Mister asks me to work hard, attack the spaces, help with the build-up and do everything a midfielder needs to do."

You’ve also reunited with some teammates you already knew, including Gabriele Zappa. Do you have any anecdotes to share? "Zappa is definitely a joker, a really funny guy. We’ve also formed a nice little group that plays five-a-side briscola among us Italians who are a bit more experienced."

Who’s the best? "We’re all good. It depends on the cards. The cards can change everything, so you never know."

You’ve spent most of your career away from Puglia, but your bond with Bari and Santeramo has remained very strong. What do you carry with you from your home region? "When I go back to Santeramo, they make me feel special. Everyone says hello, they want to see me and know how I’m doing and how I’m settling into the different cities where I play. Above all, I carry that simplicity with me. It’s a place where people live simply but work very hard, and that work ethic that my parents and the people around me passed on to me is something I’ll always carry with me."

You have almost 100 Serie B appearances and three promotions to Serie A. In your opinion, what are the key ingredients for tackling this league in the best possible way? "Serie B is an extremely difficult league because absolutely anything can happen. I think a winning mentality, built day by day in training, and a strong bond between teammates are essential. You need to build a great dressing room and help each other. When there’s understanding on the pitch, you support one another and that can really make the difference."

Over the course of a season, there are moments when you play more and others when you start on the bench. How do you deal with those situations? "I train hard and try to make sure I’m ready whenever the Mister decides to call on me. Sitting on the bench is never easy, but it can also become an opportunity to show, when your moment comes, that you’re there and that you can be a reliable player."

You’ve often been described as a great dressing-room presence. What does having that role within a team mean to you? "I’m an outgoing person and I like building relationships with my teammates. Having someone alongside you who you’re friends with makes a difference, especially in difficult moments, when you need someone’s support. That’s why it’s important for me to build genuine relationships. Being considered a dressing-room leader makes me very happy and proud, because it’s not something you can take for granted."

In your opinion, what qualities does a good dressing-room leader need to have? "You need to be outgoing and friendly, but also serious about what you do. You have to set an example both in your work and in the dressing room, behave properly, be punctual and know how to say the right thing at the right time."

Looking back at your journey, is there someone who has played a particularly important role away from the spotlight? "My family, especially my parents. Santeramo is about 50 kilometres from Bari and, when I was younger, every day my mother, and sometimes my father too, would take me to training after school. After training, they would come and pick me up and take me home. My mother made so many sacrifices for me and I’m grateful to her. They both know it, because I try to show them that every day."

Away from football, who is Nunzio? How do you like to spend your free time? "I really love going to the cinema. I like going out with my girlfriend and my dog, my little dachshund Choco, walking around the city and discovering new places. Verona is beautiful and I’ve fallen in love with this city."

Do you have a favourite place in Verona? "I live near Piazza dei Signori, so I’m right in the city centre. But rather than one specific place, it’s the city as a whole that I like. It’s fantastic."

This is your first experience as a player in a city without the sea, after Bari, Cagliari, Olbia and Venice. How are you dealing with that? "I go to the lake! Joking aside, Verona is so beautiful that it makes up for it. I’ve played almost exclusively in seaside cities, but I come from a town in inland Puglia, so I’m also used to hills and mountains."

What would you like the fans to know about you this season, both on and off the pitch? "On the pitch, I hope I can show the desire I have and all my attachment to this shirt. Off the pitch, they can absolutely stop me. Even just to have a chat. I’m very approachable and, being an outgoing person, I enjoy joking around and talking to the fans. So, if you see me, don’t hesitate to stop me."

Send a message to the Gialloblù fans. "Hi guys, sending you all a big hello. Make sure you come to the Bentegodi: we need you!"