First Team

This afternoon, at the Hotel Miramonti in Acquapartita, there was the press conference to introduce Mark Natta, Cesena FC’s new defender.

Alongside the Italian-Australian player was sporting director Andrea Mancini, who stated: “Today I am here on behalf of the entire club to introduce Mark, who, chronologically speaking, was our first signing of this new season. We’re happy to have him with us and wish him a rewarding journey. On behalf of myself and the entire club, I’d like to wish Mark the best of luck and extend a warm welcome to Cesena.”

After the director’s remarks, Mark answered questions from reporters: “How have my first few days in Italy been? So far, it’s gone very well; everyone in Cesena and here at training camp has been very welcoming. The coaching staff and all the players have been fantastic and have helped me a lot to settle in right from the start. I know that getting out on the field with the guys and starting to train right away has done me a world of good.”

“My first impression of Romagna has been fantastic. As I said, the people are lovely and very kind, and the food is fantastic: I can’t deny it—the food in Italy is definitely better than in Australia. I’ve found people to be very open and welcoming, and that’s really made me happy.”

“I immediately realized that the game in Italy is a bit more physical and the pace is slightly faster than in Australia, but for me, that’s absolutely not a problem. That’s what I want to do: test myself at the highest possible levels to keep growing and improving.”

“My main goal in my soccer career is definitely to play for the Australian national team—and maybe one day even in the World Cup—although it’s already been an incredible experience for me to face the best players from around the world, whom I’ve encountered in Australia. They’ve allowed me to learn so much, and I hope to put all this experience to good use at Cesena.”

“I think my strengths are my composure and my ability to bring calm to the defensive line: in moments of intense pressure, I believe I can buy time, slow down the pace, and do what the team needs to get out of the most complicated situations. At the same time, on defense, I’ve always given my all to win every aerial duel, every tackle, and every challenge—and that’s really important to me.”

“My goals? On a personal level, I want to give it my all to earn a spot in the starting lineup: the goal I’ve set for myself is to play as many minutes as possible and help the team. On a team level, however, I think it’s simply a matter of continuing to push forward and grow, putting into practice the principles we’re working on with the coach, as well as trying to win as many games as possible and aim as high as we can.”

The full interview is available on the YouTube channel of Cesena FC: