Schick: 'I’ll join an even bigger club’
By Football Italia staff
Patrik Schick admits he wants to join “an even bigger club” than Roma one day, and confirms he was “angry” with Juventus.
The Czech striker was all-set to join the Bianconeri from Sampdoria this summer, but failed his medical due to a heart inflammation and eventually joined the capital club instead.
“It was a really unexpected and good feeling,” Schick told Reporter Magazin in his homeland.
“The season ended and I could choose, the offers I liked most came from Rome, Milan and Turin. Finally I decided on Juventus, not least because I was called by [Vice-President] Pavel Nedved and it all sounded so exciting.
“I was looking forward to it, and frankly in June I felt like a Juventus player, but I wasn’t…
“I knew it was nothing serious, just some inflammation that would pass soon. I was fine, and I knew there was enough time to rest and everything would be normal, but Juventus delayed my transfer.
“When I came back from my holiday, Mr [Pavel] Paska [Schick’s agent] said we had to go to Turin for another medical.
“I told him I wasn’t going anywhere, that it was already getting on my nerves and I’m not flying to Turin, it would be useless.
“It didn’t matter to me anymore, I was a little bit angry. The deliberations were unnecessary, and in the middle of July my €25m release clause ceased to apply.
“So as far as I was concerned the President of Sampdoria [Massimo Ferrero] could name his price and put my value as high as possible. That’s what he did, he eventually got it up to €40m, a billion koruna.
“When I signed I felt great relief that I could finally concentrate only on my football.
“I’m definitely calmer than I was in Genoa, because when I came to Italy I was no-one but now all my friends know me.
“The defender, Aleksandar Kolarov, took me aside and confirmed what I had been thinking. He told me: 'don’t worry, by the middle of October you’ll surely be on the way up, just stay calm and it’ll all be good’.
“When I first saw the training ground I knew I could get the best out of myself here.
“I don’t have to worry about anything, the pitches are perfect, the gym, the nutritional consultants make the recipes, weigh the fats, tell us what to eat. There are so many staff just for us!
“Money? I take it as motivation, and I hope that in a few years I can move to an even bigger club where logically I’ll be paid even more - that motivation has always helped me a lot.
“It’s not really possible to move much higher [than Roma] but there are a few clubs… let’s say Real Madrid, Barcelona or Manchester United.”
Typical interview to your local journalist, did he really think it won't make it's way to Italy?
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