🎙️INTERVIEW | Obert to “Il Cagliari in Diretta”

Rossoblu full-back Adam Obert, born in 2002, was the guest on “Il Cagliari in Diretta,” Radiolina’s program. These are his words:

TRUST AND GROWTH
I can play both as a center back and a left fullback. I make myself available and play wherever the team needs me. I’m comfortable on the wing, and I’ve better understood how to interpret the role. If I need more coverage, I stay more contained, otherwise I try to push forward. Lately, the coach has also been asking me to support the attack, but it depends on the game and the moment. I’m hoping for some assists, as has already happened this year, and even some goals. Overall, I’m happy with my growth: in previous seasons, I still hadn’t been able to express myself at my best, as I would have liked. Coach Pisacane has given me confidence and consistency, and as a result, I’ve found a greater awareness of my abilities, which has helped me grow game after game. I’ve also found greater calm, starting right from training. I’ve improved a lot in this regard. However, I know I still have a lot of work to do; I have to keep going like this.

RED AND BLUE PRIDE
“I arrived in Italy at a very young age, 16. Leaving home in Bratislava wasn’t easy: I was very close to my family. It wasn’t easy for my parents either: having such a young son, so soon away from home. Initially, I had to learn a new language, but fortunately I did it quickly. I took lessons, and within four months I was already speaking Italian. After my experience at Sampdoria, I moved to Sardinia, initially playing in the Primavera team, then joining the first team. Already 120 games for the Rossoblu? It’s a source of pride for me: arriving here, I immediately understood how much this land loves the team. It’s a pleasure to be part of this club and to fight together for this jersey. I recently renewed my contract and I’m very happy to be here.”

THE COACHES
“This is my fifth season here. I’m young, but I already have a certain amount of experience that I can now begin to pass on, especially to the younger players who are perhaps making their first appearance in the first team or who are coming to Cagliari from other clubs. I try to lend a hand, just as my more experienced teammates have done with me. I’m someone who easily connects with everyone. I thank all the coaches I’ve had; each one has given me something, giving me advice on where to improve: Semplici, who I had in training camp, Mazzarri, Liverani, to whom I owe a lot, Ranieri, Nicola, and now Pisacane: he’s giving me so much faith, and I’m trying to repay him. I thank everyone.”

LOVE FOR THE ISLAND
“I’m really enjoying myself here in Cagliari. And my family, when they first came here, was already thinking about when they could return, they’d had such a great time. So are my friends who come to visit me and watch me play. This is a land that captivates you from the moment you land. The warmth of the people, the sea, the historic center, the food. I’ve always loved Italy; we used to come to Tuscany for vacation. We were supposed to come to Sardinia, but we didn’t get to, so I ended up living here.”

THE NATIONAL TEAM AND THE WORLD CUP DREAM
It’s always a source of pride to be able to play for your country. They’re also welcome opportunities to see family, but unfortunately, due to work or lack of flights, they can’t always come to see me. When I play for the national team, they always come to see me at the stadium. My dad played football before pursuing a career in law, which is also my mother’s profession: he’s keen for me to do well. For the last three years, we’ve had coach Calzona, who’s given us a huge hand; with him, we’ve been able to express ourselves better. I played in my first European Championship, an incredible joy. It’s a shame we didn’t manage to qualify for the World Cup. We stopped in the play-offs, which was disappointing: a dream I’ve had since I was a child was shattered. But I hope to have more opportunities in the years to come and to be able to play at least one World Cup. My idols? Sergio Ramos in defense, and in general, I’ve always liked Cristiano Ronaldo, also for his work ethic. He was an example to me. At home, I have the jerseys of my compatriots. Škriniar and Lobotka. I swapped Škriniar’s with him in one of my first Serie A games: he was playing for Inter, we didn’t know each other yet. Now we play defense together for the national team.”

TOWARDS THE GOAL
We’re very close to the finish line, but we also know we can’t give up an inch. We’ve come out of a difficult period, so attitude must be key. The turning point was the match against Cremonese: it was a game that mattered a lot, we won as a team, there was positive energy from everyone. Now we must first achieve our goal, then finish the season on a high, picking up as many points as possible to move up in the standings compared to previous seasons. We’ll also play the next two games in front of our home crowd. Udinese are a team with quality and physicality, they won’t give anything away, they’re aiming for 50 points. It will be a tough battle.

GO, RIYAD
“I have a wonderful relationship with Riyad Idrissi; he’s a great guy. His injury was a tough blow, but he’s working hard to get back on track. He came to visit us in Bologna during the training camp and then at the stadium. We talked a bit. I send him a hug and we look forward to seeing him on the pitch with us soon.”