Obaretin to CM: "At AC Milan it felt like I was dreaming. Conte and Allegri are different, but they shaped me. At Lorient dreaming of the national team. Do not underestimate Ligue 1"
The Italian defender on loan at Lorient told us about his career, his experiences with Napoli and AC Milan, but also about the choice to move to Ligue 1 in a bid to make his breakthrough.
Nosa Edward Obaretin has made a bold call at the start of his career. The defender, born in 2003, chose in the summer to leave Napoli and move abroad for the first time in his life, joining Lorient in Ligue 1 with one clear aim: to finally make his breakthrough in a league that is especially good for developing players like him.
Speaking exclusively to Goal Italia and Calciomercato, the former Napoli and Milan player, who also spent time on loan in Serie B with clubs such as Bari, Trento and Empoli, looked back on his journey, his desire to break through, what he learned under Antonio Conte and Massimiliano Allegri, and the example set by top players he came up against such as Theo Hernandez, Leao, Ibrahimovic, but also Rrhamani and the Azzurri centre-backs. The Azzurri shirt also remains in the background, a dream he hopes Ligue 1 can help him chase.
Lorient's choice
Let’s start with the decision you made in the summer that brought you here to Lorient: what convinced you about the project? Was there anyone in particular who spoke to you and convinced you to have this first experience abroad? "First of all, I liked the project straight away when I spoke with the sporting director and he pushed me to come here. Then there is the personal side, because I wanted to try an experience abroad. Secondly, I like the fact that they were immediately clear with me here. I like that Ligue 1 is a league where a lot of young players play, and our team is also full of young players.
You arrive in France after three seasons as a professional, still spent around Italy. What do you think you have learned from these experiences, and with what personal objective and what do you bring here to Lorient?
"Certainly, in all these experiences I had on loan, I learned a lot from all the different coaches I had. I come here with the desire to improve and to give my all for the team. It is certainly a difficult league, it is not easy, every match is tough and I will always give my all and make myself available to the team.
Before the break came your debut. What was the first thing that struck you on and off the pitch?
It was very, very nice. I was very happy with my debut. What struck me was the intensity on the pitch, the intensity of the play. Then the stadiums... I have to be honest, I came from Serie B, so let’s say the stadiums here are fuller by comparison, there are many more people and they are bigger. So it made a good impression on me and I am happy. Now I will get down to work because we are preparing for the match against Paris FC.
Theo Hernandez, Rrhamani and Sergio Ramos the examples
Centre-back or full-back? Where do you see your future? In the past you said you were learning from Theo Hernandez how to play as a full-back, but in recent years you have played more as a centre-back. What kind of example was he for you at that time, and were there others you learned from instead when it came to playing as a centre-back?
Right now I'm playing as the left-sided centre-back in a back three and today I see myself more in that role. Obviously, playing at AC Milan and seeing Theo Hernandez up close was a wonderful experience. I saw and learned so many things from him. As a centre-back, for example at Napoli, playing with Rrhamani also helped me a lot. He was always giving me advice and I learned a lot from him too. Then in training camp this summer I always tried to pick up as much information as possible from all the centre-backs. Rrahmani underrated? For me he is certainly an excellent defender.
Season objective? What kind of defender are you and is there a player you look up to?
First of all, I want to make as many appearances as possible, and if a goal comes then all the better. As a defender I like to be aggressive, but I also like playing with the ball and, in fact, I like attacking the goal too, maybe from corners, although in my opinion I should improve a bit more in that area. When I was younger, and when he was at the highest level, I always watched Sergio Ramos. For me he is an incredibly strong defender and I always tried to learn as much as possible from him, obviously by watching him on TV during Real's Champions League matches, because for me he was an incredibly strong defender.
Ligue 1 underrated
Ligue 1 is a league that in Italy we know above all for the presence of great talents, but also for great physicality. Does that impression ring true, or is there more to it?
In my opinion, Ligue 1 is a very underrated league because there are so many talents. Obviously it is a very, very physical league and the tempo is very high, but people tend to underestimate it, perhaps because they think "there’s only PSG or only the top three or four teams". In reality, though, every match is difficult here because all the teams are well organised and have very strong, very physical players, so you cannot underestimate any game.
In recent seasons, top-level defenders have also moved from Ligue 1 to other leagues. Do you think it might be the best league for a defender to really break through? More specifically, what can French football give you?
I think Ligue 1 can be a great springboard, not only for a defender but also simply for a young player. Here, all the teams have a lot of young players and they play them, and I really like that. It gives you confidence, and I think confidence is the most important thing for a young player, also when it comes to consistency in playing. It can be a great league in which to launch yourself and perhaps move on to other competitions in future, if of course you do well.
Allegri, Conte and Napoli
You were with Massimiliano Allegri's first team throughout the summer... what was it like working with him? How different is he compared to Antonio Conte, another manager who has worked with you and with whom you have "sweated quite a lot" during previous pre-seasons?
I got on well with manager Allegri, and obviously with all his staff as well. He taught me a lot tactically, especially defensively of course. Compared to Conte, obviously... as we all know Conte's training camp is very tough, but he too is top at his job, he is a winner and I learned a lot from him as well. All in all, they were good summer training camps for me with them. I learned a lot both from the staff and from the players, and I will certainly carry that with me in my career.
Did you ever think this summer was the right time to try to stake your claim there with Napoli, or can this Lorient project give you much more space and in the end is it the right choice for you?
As I have always done with my career choices, I have always told myself that for a young player it is always better to play first of all. I have always been on the side of those who choose to go and play and find space. Then obviously if Napoli had wanted to keep me, of course, that would have made me super happy, but I am happy with the choice I made and I hope to continue like this and give my all for Loreint.
AC Milan, a dream
Before Napoli there was AC Milan. You came through the Rossoneri youth sector: what do you carry with you from that period? It was an AC Milan very far removed from the one we see today, Maldini was still there, they had won the Serie A title...
No, well, for me my time at AC Milan was the most beautiful experience of my life. It shaped me more than anything else because I learned so much there and worked under so many coaches, especially when I first moved up from the Primavera to the first team. I would see Rafael Leao, Ibrahimovic, Theo Hernandez, Kjaer was there too... it felt like I was dreaming, I could hardly believe it. Every time I went to train with the first team I was incredibly happy and tried to learn as much as possible, especially from all the defenders too. It was a wonderful experience.
Mancini and the national team
The Italy national team under Roberto Mancini have started a new cycle with a strong focus on young players, with plenty of lads who could be claimed by other national teams, as in your case, having been taken into consideration. Do you ever think about the national-team issue? What if Nigeria were to call before the Azzurri?
Well, to tell you the truth, I still don't know. But obviously, given I've already been with the national team at Under-17 level, right now I think I'd give priority to Italy. Obviously, the national team is always an honour. If Italy were to call me, I'd be extremely happy, but first I'm thinking about the club and working here, giving my all game after game and then, if the national-team call-up were to arrive, it would only be a pleasure for me.
