‘I’m here to secure my place at Lazio’

One day his uncle and grandfather took him to the Olympic Stadium in Rome to watch Lazio play. That was the moment Alessandro Barone’s passion for football sparked into life and would see him through on his path towards making a childhood dream come true and wearing the Italian capital’s uniform. Now, at the age of thirteen, he has spent the past two seasons defending those same colours that he has held so close to his heart for so long.

Before starting the new academic year, Alessandro decided to travel to Barcelona to get his engines running. Still not entirely sure if he’ll keep his place in the Lazio squad, he wants to make sure he’s in top form for the beginning of the preseason to show his coach that he has all the right papers to continue on the team.

“I had planned to train this summer and my mother suggested that I attend Marcet’s intensive courses after having looked up several possibilities online,” the attacking midfielder tells us. “With so many activities at hand, the first few days took a little getting used to. That said, I knew that it was very important to make the most of my time off from training and rest properly and I, sure enough, I adapted to this rhythm of work.”

“What really stood out for me was how organized everything was. All the training sessions are meticulously taken care of and, on top of that, here I’m learning a kind of football that’s different from what we’re used to in Italy, where possession is put first on our list of competing priorities.” A fresh approach to the game may just be what get’s Alessandro on the right path to fulfilling his dream of reaching first division competition one day. “And, possibly, winning a major league.”