Chiesa seeks fresh start at Anfield
Federico Chiesa has expressed his desire for a “new chapter” at Liverpool under new head coach Andoni Iraola, following a period of limited playing time under Arne Slot. The forward indicated that he aims for a more significant role this season.
The Italy international has been linked with a return to his home country this summer, having struggled for minutes during his two years at Anfield. Despite making 36 appearances for Slot last season, only five of these were starts. His last start in the Premier League was one game, and his final start overall came in the FA Cup fourth-round win against Brighton on 14 February. Chiesa hopes that the change in management will lead to a change in his fortunes as a Liverpool player.
“It is always a fresh start at the beginning of the year,” said the 28-year-old, who scored a goal in Liverpool’s 4-2 friendly defeat of Sunderland in Nashville on Saturday. He added, “Maybe there have been too many fresh starts [for him]. But I don’t care, I am trying to do my best for this new manager.”
Chiesa reflected on the previous season, stating, “Last season under Arne Slot, I was trying to do my best. Last year I felt ready for a bigger role, then it depended on the coach whether he wanted me to play or not. Of course I wanted to play more but it is what it is. The gaffer decided to do so, he had his gameplans, he took his decisions, I have nothing to say about that. It is football.” He concluded, “This year, let us say it is a new chapter. There is a new manager and I have to focus on that.”
Focus on proving himself to new coach
Chiesa confirmed that he has not yet discussed his future with Iraola since the Basque coach took over from Slot in June. “The only conversations I had were about pressing and tactics,” he noted. He also mentioned that Iraola positioned him as a striker against Sunderland, a role he is willing to embrace despite typically playing as a winger.
With two years remaining on his Liverpool contract, Chiesa’s priority is to demonstrate his value to the new head coach rather than pursuing a move back to Serie A. Clubs like Como and his former club Juventus have been mentioned in connection with the forward.
“Right now, at the moment, I am happy here at Liverpool,” Chiesa stated. “I love the club, I love the fans, I love everything. I am doing the best I can to have a chance here. And then we will see. At the minute, the only thing I am thinking about is Liverpool.”
Liverpool secured Champions League qualification on the final day of a challenging season in May, which was Slot’s last game in charge. Chiesa believes this was not a cause for celebration for a club of Liverpool’s standing and stressed the need for improvement in the upcoming term.
The forward commented, “Liverpool deserves more. Two years ago, we were Premier League champions. Last year, we almost went out of the Champions League spots. We were battling for fifth, which was enough at the time but as we know usually only four go in. We were lucky.”
He continued, “It was a tough season last year and this season we need to do better, in the Champions League as well. We went out to PSG. We want to go further in that competition and then we want to do even better in the Premier League as well.”
Hopes for national team return
Chiesa also aims to regain his place in the national team next season. He has missed out on several squads recently, with the national team now searching for a new head coach after failing to qualify for the World Cup under Gennaro Gattuso.
He explained his previous absence from the national squad: “The situation is that I spoke to the manager a few times, Gattuso, and I was not ready physically at the time. When I got back in March, unfortunately I got injured.”
Despite these setbacks, Chiesa remains optimistic about his international future. “But I am looking forward to playing for the national team. I have won with the national team [the European Championship]. It is always nice to play and win for your national team.”
The 28-year-old attacker joined Liverpool from Juventus in August 2024.
Source: theguardian.com