Belgian goalkeeper Silvio Proto signed for Lazio from Greek side Olympiakos in the summer yet has only played 180 minutes for the Biancocelesti so far this season; featuring in the side’s first two Europa League games – in a win over Apollon Limassol and the heavy 4-1 defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany.
With quotes from LaLazioSiamoNoi, Proto revealed more about how he is settling at Lazio; whilst also giving high praise to Lazio’s Albanian number 1 Thomas Strakosha:
“Already at the time I played in Belgium I had been to Italy 3 or 4 times. I came here with my wife, Rome has always been our favourite city. I always said that if I had the chance to play in one of the two clubs of this city I would have never hesitated. Everything was clear from the beginning: I would have been the second goalkeeper behind the holder, Thomas Strakosha. I’ve never seen a strong goalkeeper like him, behind a group with so much quality. The Albanian is young, big physically, explosive … He has everything you need to make a career at the top. What strikes me about the Italian championship is that in every team there are at least two players who make the difference on their own. In Belgium and Greece, everything is played through the strength of the group. The Serie A has regained its greatness: above all in terms of taxation, the Italian championship is interesting for the big stars.
“Even though I’m 35, I think I’m in the period of my career where I feel stronger, physically. I do not have the same legs when I was 25 years old, but I fill up with experience. As of age, you acquire serenity and you do not live more 24 hours a day for football. The more you are young, the more you force yourself not to go on holiday when you want, not to eat what you want. When the years pass, however, you give yourself some more freedom. I enjoy life a little more: I drink a glass of wine, I go to the restaurant a few more times, I manage sleep better and I have less stress. However, it must be said that here in Italy the workload is twice as heavy as that of the other clubs in which I played. However, the company also gives much more freedom to its players. We have everything at our disposal, but it’s not like in Belgium, where they force you to undergo cryotherapy sessions. Here you do it if you feel like it. They treat us as adults , not as a group of children who must respect a literal program.”
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