Gio Simeone: My father wanted to be like Batistuta - 7M sport

Gio Simeone: My father wanted to be like Batistuta



Posted Tuesday, August 22, 2017 by Marca.com

Gio Simeone: My father wanted to be like Batistuta

Following his debut in Sunday evening's 3-0 defeat to a resurgent Inter, Giovanni Simeone has been presented as a new Fiorentina player to the media with the young forward claiming that it was his father, Diego, who motivated him to join the Florence club.

Simeone enjoyed a fine debut season in Serie A last term as he netted 11 league goals with Genoa putting him on the radar of some of the bigger clubs in the country.

And one of the iconic figures of Fiorentina's boom period in the late 1990's, Gabriel Batistuta, that the striker knows all to well about thanks to his father's influence.

"My father always talks to me about Italy and when I signed for Fiorentina he told me they were a good team, when I played in Argentina he always wanted me to come to Italy," he explained.

"He always told me that he played against the great Batistuta, he wished the he could have been like him for just one day."

Genoa's 2016/17 campaign was a difficult one with the club narrowly avoiding relegation but the former River Plate striker believes this suffering will stand him in good stead for future experiences.

"With Genoa I learned to suffer and fight," noted Simeone.

Argentine defender German Pezzella is now a teammate of Simeone's at Fiorentina and with the pair having played together with River Plate, Fiorentina's new signing is glad of the connection.

"He is a great player, I met him three years ago and he is used to playing for great clubs, I hope he can bring a lot to our group, he can do very well here," he intimated.



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