Serie B Tim - 25 Oct 2006 - 3:15 PM
Giannichedda “playing Frosinone will be emotional”
For Giuliano, Saturday’s game will be a little different to the rest. With Frosinone situated just an half hour’s drive from Castrocielo - the small village where the friends and family of the Bianconeri number 8 all reside - the Giannichedda household will be filled with an unmistakable air of familiarity. It was in this particular corner of Lazio, amid the medieval castles, the rolling countryside and the villas of ancient Rome, that the 32 year-old began his career. There he spent three years with Sora, a team from the lower leagues whose colours are none other than black and white, and after a top flight debut and six years with Udinese, it’s fair to say those two colours are part of Giannichedda’s footballing DNA. Now, with Frosinone making the trip to Turin on Saturday, the Bianconero has the chance to face his local side for the first time in his career.
So Giuliano, you could say it’s derby time for you.
“More than a derby, this game is an enormous source of satisfaction for me. Frosinone’s promotion to Serie B is something for all of Ciociaria to be proud of. My local side now find themselves up against Juventus of all teams. It’s a dream come true for people from our parts”.
It was there you began your career, with Sora…
“I was seventeen and after a couple of seasons in C2, we were then promoted to C1. The year after that I moved to Udine. I was already playing in midfield back then, although from time to time I would be moved to the back if they were short of defenders. The experiences I had at Sora were my launch pad”.
Is there anyone you remember in particular? Someone you’d perhaps like to thank?
“I remember my team mates from Sora who went on to play in Serie A, like Luiso, Marcolini and Casale. But above all I remember am still very grateful to the coach, Di Pucchio, and the sporting director Frasca, who treated me like a son. They not only allowed me to make a career out of football, but also to continue my studies right through to the end of high school”.
How was it making your top flight debut?
“It was a dream. When I was younger I never thought I’d be a footballer, my one great passion, but I was given a chance to play for Udinese from very first game of the championship. Having been playing Serie C football just before the summer, it was an incredible feeling for me. When you think I come from a town of just 4000 people, making it to Serie A was unbelievable for me, my parents and my brothers. It really was a dream”.
Are you very tied to your roots? How often do you make it back to Castrocielo?
“Every time I have a couple of days off, I always go back. My family there, as are the friends I’ve had my whole life, the real ones. A number of them will be making the trip up to Turin to see me play Frosinone. Who knows what they’ll be shouting from the stands!”
What sort of game do you expect?
“Every team has the game of their life when they’re playing Juventus. Frosinone will be even more up for it, seeing as this is their first ever season in B and this game is a one-off chance to play against a side like ours. They will give their all from first to last, just as we will”.
This is also your first experience of Serie B. How are you finding it?
“I think there are some great teams around. One of the positive aspects of this championship is that, given the lack of transfer funds, there is a reliance on younger players. And there’s certainly a more competitive spirit, which is maybe linked to the fact that, like I said before, we are Juve and everyone wants to perform well when they’re playing us”.
And what’s the secret behind the spectacular start you’ve made to the championship?
“It’s the work we carry out each day and the quality of the staff. Not to mention the fact that Juventus is a team that would be battling it out at the top if it were in Serie A. If we concentrate, we always have a good chance of coming out on top”.
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Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has refused to commit to the club beyond the end of the season.
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